Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program

Skaneateles Lake, New York

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the city of Syracuse, New York are 

partners in implementing a voluntary 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 1000 acres 

of agricultural land in the Skaneateles Lake 

watershed. The purpose of the Skaneateles 

Lake CREP is to assist in the maintenance 

of current water quality conditions through 

the reduction of agricultural sources of 

sediment, nutrients, and waterborne 

pathogens.

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 Skaneateles Lake CREP, federal 

and state resources are made available 

to program participants to voluntarily 

enroll in CRP for 10 to 15-year contracts. 

Participants remove cropland or marginal 

pastureland from agricultural production 

and convert the land to grasses, trees, or 

other approved vegetation. 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 Skaneateles Lake 

CREP include:

y To reduce the risk of pathogens from 

animal waste applied to pasture and 

cropland.

y To reduce sediment deposits 

attributed to cropland erosion in 

Skaneateles Lake and its tributaries.

y To reduce nutrient runoff from 

animal waste and fertilizer applied to 

adjacent cropland and pastures.

y To assist the city of Syracuse to 

comply with the Safe Drinking 

Water Act.

y To establish, preserve, or enhance 

wildlife habitat leading to an increase 

in populations and diversity of birds, 

mammals, and aquatic organisms.

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/servicelocator., or,

USDA Farm Service 

Agency New York 

State Office

441 S. Salina St

Suite 536

Syracuse, NY 13202

(315) 477-6300

DECEMBER 2022 NEW YORK
CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: SKANEATELES LAKE, NEW YORK 2

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP 

conservation practices are available:

y CP1, Establishment of Permanent 

Introduced Grasses and Legumes

y CP2, Establishment of Permanent 

Native Grasses

y CP3, Tree Planting 

y CP3A, Hardwood Tree Planting

y CP8A, Grass Waterway

y CP9, Shallow Water Areas for 

Wildlife

y CP15A, Establishment of 

Permanent Vegetative CoverContour Grass Strip

y CP21, Filter Strip 

y CP22, Riparian Buffer 

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the 

Skaneateles Lake CREP is on a 

continuous basis. To be eligible, land 

must be located in New York. 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 Skaneateles Lake CREP, 

eligible participants may receive the 

following payments:

y A one-time signing incentive 

payment (SIP).

y A one-time practice incentive 

payment (PIP) equal to 40 percent 

of eligible reimbursable costs 

incurred for installation.

y An annual rental payment 

consisting of:

y A base soil rental rate, 

determined by the soils of the 

land offered.

y An incentive payment for lands 

qualifying as riparian buffers or 

on the basis of erosion, except 

for land enrolled or re-enrolled 

under infeasible-to-farm 

provisions.

y A maintenance incentive 

payment for applicable 

practices.

y A cost-share payment of up to 50 

percent of the eligible cost to install 

the approved practice.

In addition, the State of New York will 

provide further cost-share assistance 

not to exceed 100 percent of the total 

eligible costs to establish eligible 

practices.

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 

Skaneateles Lake CREP provides 

additional benefits not available 

through general and/or continuous 

signup. Under the Skaneateles Lake 

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.

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