Michigan

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Michigan are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 80,000 acres of agricultural land 

in the Lake Macatawa, Saginaw Bay, River 

Raisin, and Western Lake Erie Basin. The 

purpose of the Michigan CREP is to improve 

water quality, enhance wildlife habitat for 

fish and wildlife, and enhance nesting cover 

for upland birds and mammals within the 

project area. 

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 Michigan CREP, federal 

and state resources are made available 

to program participants to voluntarily 

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

Participants remove cropland and 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 Michigan CREP are to 

annually:

• Reduce sediment entering rivers and 

streams by 52,000 tons

• Reduce phosphorus entering rivers and 

streams by 52,000 lbs

• Reduce nitrogen entering rivers and 

streams by 105,000 lbs

• Sequester approximately 60,000 

metric tons of carbon

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

• CP1, Establishment of Permanent 

Introduced Grasses and Legumes

• CP2, Establishment of Native Grasses 

• CP5A, Field Windbreak Establishment

• CP21, Filter Strips

• CP22, Riparian Buffer

• CP23, Wetland Restoration

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, Nonfloodplain 

• CP26, Sediment Retention Control 

Structure 

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.

Michigan State Office

3001 Coolidge Rd Ste 350

East Lansing, MI 48823

(517) 324-5110

(855) 647-0827 fax

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

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the 

Michigan CREP is on a continual 

basis. To be eligible, land must be 

located within one of the identified 

eligible watersheds in Michigan. Land 

must either be 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 Michigan CREP, eligible 

participants may receive the following 

payments:

• A one-time signing incentive 

payment (SIP) in accordance with 

FSA National CRP directives.

• A one-time practice incentive 

payment (PIP) in accordance with 

FSA National CRP Directives. 

The PIP is equal to up to 10 

percent of eligible reimbursable 

costs incurred for installation 

of approved practices and is 

considered a cost-share payment 

subject to limitations. 

• An annual rental payment 

consisting of:

◊ A base soil rental rate, 

determined by the soils of the 

land offered

◊ An incentive payment equal 

to 40 percent, except for land 

enrolled or re-enrolled under 

infeasible-to-farm provisions

• A cost-share payment of up to 

50 percent of the eligible cost to 

install the approved practice. 

In addition, the State of Michigan will 

provide eligible participants a costshare payment of up to 50 percent 

of the practice installation cost and 

offer payments to participants for 

the enrollment and maintenance and 

management of land enrolled in CRP 

through the Michigan CREP.

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 Michigan CREP provides 

additional benefits not available 

through general and/or continuous 

signup. Under the Michigan 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 

Michigan CREP. 

This fact sheet is provided for 

informational purposes only; other 

restrictions or requirements may apply. 

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