Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program

New York City

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of New York, and New 

York City are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) to enroll up 

to 5,000 acres of agricultural land, of which 

2,000 acres will be reserved for enrollment 

as riparian buffers in the Catskill and 

Delaware watersheds. The purpose of the 

New York City CREP is to enhance water 

quality by reduction of agricultural sources 

of sediment, nutrients, and waterborne 

pathogens and the enhancement of wildlife 

habitats in the Catskill and Delaware 

watersheds of the New York City drinking 

water supply system.

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 New York City 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 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 New York City 

CREP include:

y To reduce sediment and nutrient 

pollution from entering the 

tributaries, main stems, and reservoirs 

in the Catskill and Delaware 

watersheds.

y To promote the continued health 

and viability of natural habitats 

and ecosystems.

y To establish riparian buffers 

on 2,000 acres.

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: NEW YORK CITY 2

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP 

conservation practices are available:

Eligible CRP practices for lands 

qualifying on the basis of erodibility 

will be: 

y CP 1, Establishment of 

Permanent Introduced Grasses

y CP 2, Establishment of 

Permanent Native Grasses 

y CP 3, Tree Planting

y CP 3A, Hardwood Tree Planting 

y CP 4D, Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat

Eligible CRP practices for lands 

qualifying as riparian buffers will be:

y CP 21, Filter Strip 

y CP 22, Riparian Buffer 

y CP 23, Wetland Restoration

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the New 

York City CREP is on a continuous 

basis. To be eligible, land must be 

located in New York in the Catskill 

and Delaware watersheds of the 

New York City drinking water supply 

system. 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 New York City 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 of CP21, 

CP22 practices.

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 equal 

to as follows, except for land 

enrolled or re-enrolled under 

infeasible-to-farm provisions. 

 100 percent of the 

established county rental 

rate, for land qualifying on 

the basis of erodibility. 

 100 percent of the 

established county 

rental rate, for land to be 

established to riparian 

buffers.

y A maintenance incentive 

payment for CP21 and CP22 

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 

pay 50 percent of the reimbursable costs 

for conservation practice installation. 

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 New York City 

CREP provides additional benefits 

not available through general and/or 

continuous signup. 

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