Wisconsin

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Wisconsin are partners 

in implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 100,000 acres of agricultural 

land in designated Lake Superior, Riparian, 

Northern Grassland, and Southern Grassland 

project areas. The purpose of the Wisconsin 

CREP is to improve water quality, reduce 

soil erosion, reduce the amount of sediment, 

phosphorous and other pollutants entering 

waterbodies and improve wildlife habitat 

through the establishment of riparian 

buffers, native and other grasses, grass 

waterways and the restoration of wetlands. 

Background

CREP is part of the USDA Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is a federally 

funded voluntary program that contracts 

with agricultural producers so that 

environmentally sensitive agricultural land 

is not farmed or ranched, but instead used 

for conservation benefits. CRP participants 

establish permanent, resource-conserving 

plant species, such as approved grasses or 

trees (known as “covers”) to control soil 

erosion, improve water quality and develop 

wildlife habitat. In return, the Farm Service 

Agency (FSA) provides participants with 

rental payments and cost-share assistance.

With CREP, high-priority conservation goals 

are identified by the state, and then federal 

funds are supplemented with non-federal 

funds to achieve those goals.

Through the Wisconsin CREP, federal 

and state resources are made available to 

program participants to voluntarily enroll 

in CRP for 14-year to 15-year contracts. 

Participants remove cropland and marginal 

pastureland from agricultural production 

and convert the land to grasses, trees, 

or other approved vegetation or restore 

wetlands. This will improve water quality by 

reducing sediment, nutrients, nitrogen and 

other pollutants from entering streams and 

rivers, and enhance wildlife habitat in the 

area.

Goals

The goals of the Wisconsin CREP include:

• Reduce sediment, phosphorus, 

nitrogen and other pollutants entering 

streams and other waterbodies; 

• Restore and protect wetlands; and 

• Improve wildlife habitat for grassland 

birds and other wildlife.

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

• CP1, Establishment of Permanent 

Introduced Grasses and Legumes*

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent 

Native Grasses*

• CP8A, Grass Waterways

• CP21, Filter Strips

• CP22, Riparian Buffer

• CP23, Wetland Restoration

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, NonFloodplain

• CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat

• CP29, Marginal Pastureland Wildlife 

Habitat Buffer

• CP30, Marginal Pastureland Wetland 

Buffer

*Practices eligible in the Southern Grassland and 

Northern Grassland project areas only

For More Info

CREP is one option under CRP 

that farmers and ranchers may 

select to enhance their land. 

Eligible producers may also 

enroll land in CRP through 

the general, continuous, or 

grassland signups; however, 

CREP may provide additional 

benefits not available through 

those signup types such as 

higher incentive payments and 

longer contract lengths that 

increase the total amount of 

rental payments received.

For more information on this 

project, contact your local 

service center and USDA 

Farm Service Agency office: 

farmers.gov/service-locator.

Wisconsin State Office

8030 Excelsior Dr.

Madison, WI 53717

Phone: (888) 361-2000

Fax: (855) 758-0755

This fact sheet is provided for 

informational purposes only;

other restrictions or requirements 

may apply.

MAY 2022 fsa.usda.gov
CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM 2

Enrollment and 

Eligibility Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the 

Wisconsin CREP is on a continuous 

basis. To be eligible, land must be 

located in an eligible project area 

and be either cropland or marginal 

pastureland. Land must meet cropping 

history criteria and be physically and 

legally capable of being planted in 

a normal manner to an agricultural 

commodity. Marginal pastureland is 

also eligible for enrollment provided it 

is suitable for use as a riparian buffer 

planted to trees.

• In the Riparian and Lake Superior 

project area, eligible lands within 

150 feet of an eligible stream or 

water body may be enrolled.

• In the Northern Grassland project 

area, eligible land within 1000 feet 

of an eligible stream or water body 

may be enrolled. Up to 5,000 acres 

may be enrolled.

• In the Southern Grassland project 

area, highly erodible lands, as 

determined by FSA, within 1000 

feet of an eligible stream or water 

body may be enrolled. Up to 

10,000 acres may be enrolled.

Participants must enter into a 

perpetual easement or an agreement 

for the term of the CRP contract. The 

perpetual easement and agreement are 

between the participant and the State 

of Wisconsin.

Payments

Under the Wisconsin CREP, eligible 

participants may receive the following 

payments:

• A one-time signing incentive 

payment (SIP) equal to $100 per 

acre is paid in accordance with FSA 

National CRP Directives for land 

enrolled in CP8A, CP21, and CP22.

• A one-time practice incentive 

payment (PIP) equal to 40% 

percent of eligible reimbursable 

costs incurred for installation of 

CP8A, CP21, CP22. 

• An annual rental payment 

consisting of:

◊ A base soil rental rate, 

determined by the soils of the 

land offered

◊ An incentive payment equal to 

the practice according to the 

table below, except for land 

enrolled or re-enrolled under 

infeasible-to-farm provisions:

Practice Land 

Location

Incentive

CP1, CP2, 

CP8A, 

CP21, 

CP22, and 

CP29

Grassland 

and 

Riparian 

Project Area

35 Percent

CP23, 

CP23A, and 

CP25

60 Percent

CP8A, 

CP21, 

CP22, 

CP23, 

CP23A, 

CP29, and 

CP30

Lake 

Superior 

Basin 

Project Area

85 Percent

◊ A maintenance incentive 

payment for certain CP21, 

CP22, CP29, and CP30 

practices in accordance with 

FSA National CRP Directivess.

• A cost-share payment of up to 

50 percent of the eligible cost to 

install the approved practice. 

In addition, the State of Wisconsin 

provides the following payments:

• An incentive payment in an 

amount equal to 20 percent of 

the eligible reimbursable cost of 

installing the approved practice.

• For land enrolled in the state’s 

perpetual easement, a one-time 
CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM 3

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov

payment equal to: 

◊ 12 times the CRP base soil 

rental rate times the number 

of acres enrolled for land 

located in the grassland and 

riparian project areas; and 

◊ 24 times the CRP base soil 

rental rate times the number 

of acres enrolled for land 

located in the Lake Superior 

project area.

• For land enrolled in the state’s 

agreement program, a one-time 

payment equal to: 

◊ 1.5 times the CRP base soil 

rental rate times the number 

of acres enrolled for land 

located in the grassland and 

riparian project areas; and 

◊ 2.5 times the CRP base soil 

rental rate times the number 

of acres enrolled for land 

located in the Lake Superior 

project area.

Enrollment Options

CREP is another option under CRP 

that farmers and ranchers may 

select to enhance their land. Eligible 

producers may still enroll land in CRP 

through general or continuous signup; 

however, the Wisconsin CREP provides 

additional benefits not available 

through general and/or continuous 

signup. Under the Wisconsin CREP, 

producers receive higher incentive 

payments and longer contract lengths 

that increase the total amount of rental 

payments received.

Haying and Grazing

Contact your local FSA office for more 

information about authorized haying 

and grazing activities.