Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program 

CREP – Illinois

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Illinois are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 232,000 acres of agricultural 

land in the Illinois River and Kaskaskia River 

watersheds within the State of Illinois. 

The Illinois CREP is intended to reduce 

the amount of agricultural chemicals and 

sediment from agricultural lands entering 

waters within the project area and enhance 

aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat.

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 Illinois 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 Illinois CREP include:

 Decreasing sediment, nitrogen, and 

phosphorus loading within the Illinois 

and Kaskaskia watersheds; 

 Increasing the population of avian 

species of greatest conservation need 

in the project area, as defined by the 

Illinois Wildlife Action Plan; and

 Increasing the number of native fish 

and environmentally sensitive aquatic 

insects in stream reaches associated 

with the project area. 

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION 

PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

 CP2, Establishment of Permanent 

Native Grasses

 CP3A, Hardwood Tree Planting

 CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat

 CP9, Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife

 CP12, Wildlife Food Plot (if in combination 

with another approved practice)

 CP21, Filter Strips

 CP22, Riparian Buffers

 CP23, Wetland Restoration

 CP23A, Wetland Restoration—

Non-Floodplain 

 CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat

(for prairie or tall grass prairie/oak

savanna ecosystems)

STAY 

CONNECTED

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 sign-ups; 

however, CREP may 

provide additional 

benefits not available 

through those sign-up 

types such as higher 

incentive payments and 

longer contract lengths 

that increase the 

total amount of rental 

payments received. 

Illinois State

Farm Service Agency

3500 Wabash Ave. 

Springfield, IL

62711-8287 

(217) 241-6600 Ext: 2 

(855) 800-1760 fax 

For more information on 

this project, contact your 

local service center and 

USDA Farm Service

Agency office:

farmers.gov/service-locator 

JUNE 2022 Illinois
CREP - ILLINOIS 2

ENROLLMENT 

AND ELIGIBILITY 

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment in CRP through the 

Illinois CREP is on a continuous 

basis. To be eligible, land must be 

located in Illinois and at least 5% 

of the land per contract must be 

located within the project area. 

Land must 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. It must 

currently be enrolled in CRP. 

Eligible land must be one of 

the following:

• A flooded and/or wetland 

riparian area, defined as:

• Within the 100-year 

floodplain of the Illinois or 

Kaskaskia River or one of 

their tributary streams, or

• Outside the 100-year 

floodplain and is farmed 

wetland or a prior 

converted wetland

• A highly erodible riparian area, 

defined as cropland with a 

weighted average erodibility 

index of 8 or greater and 

located immediately adjacent 

to a riparian area within the 

100-year floodplain of the 

Illinois or Kaskaskia River or 

one of their tributary streams

PAYMENTS

Under the Illinois 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 25 

percent, except for land enrolled 

or re-enrolled under infeasibleto-farm provisions

• A maintenance incentive 

payment 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.

 A cost-share payment of up to 50 

percent of the eligible cost for the 

management of a riparian buffer 

(CP22)

In addition, the State of Illinois will 

provide a one-time easement payment 

to landowners for all land entered into 

an easement.

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

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 

Illinois CREP provides additional 

benefits not available through 

general and/or continuous signup. 

available through general and/

or continuous signup. Under the 

Illinois 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 though the Illinois CREP.

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.