Lake Erie Watershed 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Ohio are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 67,000 acres of agricultural land 

in the Lake Erie watershed within the State 

of Ohio. The purpose of the Ohio Lake Erie 

Watershed CREP is to create permanent 

vegetative cover adjacent to rivers and 

streams within the Lake Erie Watershed 

to increase wildlife populations as well as 

sustain suspended solids levels.

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 Lake Erie Watershed CREP, 

federal and state resources are made 

available to program participants to 

voluntarily enroll in CRP for 14–15-year 

contracts. Participants remove cropland 

and marginal pastureland from agricultural 

production and convert the land to grasses, 

trees, or 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 Lake Erie Watershed CREP 

include:

• Create 67,000 acres of permanent 

vegetative cover adjacent to rivers and 

streams within the Lake Erie Watershed 

when full enrollment is reached.

• Increase the population of migratory birds 

and waterfowl, grassland birds, and other 

wildlife on land enrolled in CRP through 

this CREP by 50 percent, when compared 

to similar land managed for agricultural 

production. 

• Maintain CREP enrollment to sustain total 

suspended solids levels at the rate of 135 

mg/l as an annual flow weighted mean 

concentration.

For More 

Information

This fact sheet is provided 

for informational purposes 

only; other restrictions 

or requirements may 

apply. Consult your local 

FSA office for details. For 

more information, contact 

your local service center 

and USDA Farm Service 

Agency office: farmers.

gov/service-locator.

Ohio State 

Farm Service Agency

200 North High St

Room 540

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 255-2441

November 2022 xx.fsa.usda.gov fsa.usda.gov
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) 2

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

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

• CP1 Establishment of Permanent 

 Introduced Grasses

• CP2 Establishment of Permanent 

 Native Grasses

• CP5A Field Windbreak 

 Establishment

• CP21 Filter Strips

• CP21S Saturated Filter Strips

• CP22 Riparian Buffer

• CP23 Wetland Restoration

• CP23A Wetland Restoration, 

 Non-Floodplain

Enrollment and 

Eligibility Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the Lake Erie 

Watershed CREP is on a continuous 

basis. To be eligible, land must be located 

in Ohio. Land must be either cropland 

or marginal pastureland. Cropland must 

meet cropping history criteria according 

to current FSA National CRP Directives 

and be physically and legally capable of 

being planted in a normal manner to an 

agricultural commodity. 

Payments

Under the Lake Erie Watershed CREP, 

eligible participants may receive the 

following payments: 

• A one-time signing incentive payment

(SIP) is paid for land enrolled in CP5A, 

CP21, CP21S, CP22, CP23, and CP23A 

practices.

• A one-time practice incentive payment

(PIP) equal to 40% percent of eligible 

reimbursable costs incurred for 

installation of CP5A, CP21, CP21S, 

CP22, CP23, and CP23A practices.

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

• A base soil rental rate, determined by 

the soils of the land offered

• An incentive payment as follows, 

except for land enrolled or re-enrolled 

under infeasible-to-farm provisions:

◊ 100 percent, for new land enrolled in 

practice CP5A, CP22, CP23, and CP23A;

◊ 75 percent, for re-enrolled land enrolled 

in practice CP5A, CP22, CP23, and 

CP23A;

◊ 75 percent, for new land enrolled in 

practice CP2, CP21, and CP21S; and

◊ 50 percent, for re-enrolled land enrolled 

in practice CP1, CP2, CP21, and CP21S.

◊ New land enrolled in practice CP1 

is not eligible for a per-acre incentive 

payment.

• A maintenance incentive payment for 

CP21, CP21S, and CP22 practices in 

accordance with FSA National CRP 

Directives 

• A cost-share payment of up to 50 

percent of the eligible cost to install the 

approved practice.

In addition, the State of Ohio will 

provide eligible participants with a 

one-time incentive payment following 

practice completion. State incentive 

payment amounts will vary based on 

the practice enrolled or reenrolled.

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 Lake Erie Watershed 

CREP provides additional benefits 

not available through general and/

or continuous signup. Under the Lake 

Erie Watershed CREP, producers 

receive higher incentive payments and 

longer contract lengths that increase 

the total amount of rental payments 

received.

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing is not authorized 

on land enrolled in CRP through the 

Ohio Lake Erie Watershed CREP.