Mississippi Delta

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Mississippi are partners 

in implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 8,000 acres of agricultural land 

in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley located 

in Bolivar, Coahoma, Issaquena, Holmes, 

Humphreys, Leflore, Sharkey, Sunflower, 

Tallahatchie, Washington, and Yazoo 

counties within the state of Mississippi. 

The purpose of the Mississippi Delta CREP 

is to increase the bottomland hardwood 

acres and restore wetlands within targeted 

watersheds in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial 

Valley. 

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 Mississippi Delta CREP, federal 

and state resources are made available 

to program participants to voluntarily 

enroll in CRP for a 14 to 15-year contract. 

Participants remove cropland 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 Mississippi Delta CREP 

include:

• Increase the native bottomland hardwood 

forest acreage;

• Reduce nutrient and sediment loadings in 

impaired streams, and;

• Restore wetlands to serve as a habitat for 

several migratory waterfowl and shorebird 

species.

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

• CP22, Riparian Buffer

• CP23, Wetland Restoration

• CP31, Bottomland Hardwood 

Establishment on Wetlands

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.

Mississippi State

Farm Service Agency

6311 Ridgewood Road

Suite W100

Jackson, MS 39211-2035

Phone: (601) 965-5682

Fax: (844) 325-7001

MAY 2022 fsa.usda.gov
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov

CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM 2

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the 

Mississippi Delta CREP is on a 

continuous basis. To be eligible, at least 

51 percent of the cropland must be 

physically located within the Mississippi 

Delta CREP project area. Cropland 

must meet cropping history criteria 

and be physically and legally capable of 

being planted in a normal manner to an 

agricultural commodity. The practice 

offered must be an eligible practice 

under the Mississippi Delta CREP. CREP 

applications must satisfy the basic 

eligibility criteria for CRP. 

Payments

Under the Mississippi Delta CREP, 

eligible participants may receive the 

following payments:

• A one-time signing incentive 

payment (SIP) as follows:

◊ $100 per acre for CP22 and 

CP31;

◊ $150 per acre for CP23.

• A one-time practice incentive 

payment (PIP) equal to 40 percent of 

eligible reimbursable costs incurred 

for installation of CP22, CP23, and 

CP31. 

• An annual rental payment 

consisting of:

◊ A base soil rental rate, 

determined by the soils of the 

land offered

◊ An incentive payment equal 

to 20 percent, except for land 

enrolled or re-enrolled under 

infeasible-to-farm provisions 

◊ A maintenance incentive 

payment for CP22 and CP31 

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.

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 Mississippi Delta 

CREP provides additional benefits 

not available through general and/

or continuous signup. Under the 

Mississippi Delta 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.