Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program

New York—12 Watersheds

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of New York are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 40,000 acres of agricultural land 

in Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, 

Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, 

Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, 

Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, 

Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, 

Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, 

Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, 

Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, 

Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, St. 

Lawrence, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schuyler, 

Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, 

Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, 

Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming and Yates 

counties. 

The purpose of the New York 12 Watersheds 

CREP is to improve water quality, reduce 

soil erosion, reduce the amount of sediment, 

phosphorous and other pollutants from 

entering waterbodies, and improve wildlife.

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 nonfederal funds to achieve those goals.

Through the New York 12 Watersheds 

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 12 Watersheds 

CREP include:

y To reduce the amount of phosphorus, 

nitrogen, sediment, and other 

pollutants entering waterbodies 

within the project area

y To establish buffers adjacent to 4,598 

stream miles and 473,457 acres of 

surface waters; and 

y To establish conservation cover on 

areas that recharge drinking water 

supplies for cities and towns. 

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

FEBRUARY 2024 NEW YORK
CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: NEW YORK—12 WATERSHEDS 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 CP4B, Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat Corridors

y CP4D, Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat 

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 

y CP23, Wetland Restoration

y CP23A, Wetland Restoration, 

Non-Floodplain 

y CP29, Marginal Pastureland 

Wildlife Habitat Buffer 

y CP30, Marginal Pastureland 

Wetland Buffer 

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the New 

York 12 Watersheds CREP is on a 

continuous basis. To be eligible, land 

must be located in New York. Land 

must be in the project area and be 

either cropland or marginal pastureland. 

Cropland must meet cropping history 

criteria and be physically and legally 

capable of being planted in a normal 

manner to an agricultural commodity. 

Marginal pastureland is also eligible for 

enrollment provided it is suitable for use 

as a buffer practice.

Payments

Under the New York 12 Watersheds 

CREP, eligible participants may receive 

the following payments:

y A one-time signing incentive 

payment (SIP) for applicable 

practices.

y A one-time practice incentive 

payment (PIP) equal to 40 percent

of eligible reimbursable costs 

incurred for installation of CP8A, 

CP9, CP15A, CP21, CP22, CP23, 

CP23A, CP29 and CP30. 

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 as a 

percentage of the base soil 

rental rate, equal to 145 percent, 

except for land enrolled or 

re-enrolled under infeasible-tofarm other 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.

y A one-time Chesapeake Bay 

incentive payment in an amount 

equal to $25 per acre for each 

full year of the CRP contract. 

This one-time payment is 

available only for practice 

CP22 and only for land located 

within the Chesapeake Bay 

Watershed.

In addition, the State of New York

may provide cost-share payments

for the installation of an approved 

conservation practice and a onetime incentive payment for 

enrollment of new land located in 

the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 

devoted to practice CP22. 

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 

– 12 Watersheds CREP provides 

additional benefits not available 

through general and/or continuous 

signup. Under the New York – 12 

Watersheds 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