North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 02 - AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES › Chapter 59 - SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION › Subchapter F - CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (CREP) STATE PORTION OF THE PROGRAM › Section .0100 - CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (CREP) -STATE PORTION OF THE PROGRAM › Section 59F .0101 - OBJECTIVES

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) The North
				  Carolina Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a
				  state/federal/local partnership that combines existing federal Conservation
				  Reserve Program (CRP) funding and state funding from various sources, including
				  the Agriculture Cost Share Program (ACSP), to take environmentally sensitive
				  land out of crop production. For purposes of this Rule the generic term "CREP"
				  references either the federal portion or the combined federal and state
				  portions of the program. The combined federal and state portion of CREP is
				  referred to as NC-CREP. Under CREP, landowners may voluntarily enroll eligible
				  land in 10-year, 15-year, 30-year or permanent agreements or contracts. The
				  Commission operates the state portion of NC CREP program as the lead agency for
				  the State of North Carolina (State), and may from time to time delegate
				  activities to the Division.
(b) The
				  program objectives for the Commission, which are the same as those of the
				  multi-agency CREP team, are the following: to reduce agricultural non-point
				  source pollution; to enroll eligible land in 10-year, 15-year, 30-year or
				  permanent easements or leases; to encourage voluntary sign-ups for the program;
				  and to enhance ecological aspects and wildlife habitat of areas near
				  watercourses.
(c) The Division, or
				  its agent, shall seek eligible applicants for enrollment into the program in
				  accordance with the United States Department of Agriculture's 2-CRP Manual.
				  Landowner payments shall be made in accordance with state and federal
				  requirements, and shall be subject to the availability of funds.
(d) The applicable standards, rules,
				  regulations, and practices of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
				  NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, the United States Department of
				  Agriculture's 2-CRP Manual, the Division of Forest Resources,
				  15A NCAC
				  09C .0400 and the Ecosystem Enhancement
				  Program, G.S. 143-214.8 are incorporated
				  herein by reference, and such incorporation includes subsequent amendments and
				  editions of the referenced material. Likewise, the provisions of the United
				  States Department of Agriculture's 2-CRP Manual are incorporated herein by
				  reference, and such incorporation includes subsequent amendments and editions
				  of the referenced material. Copies of all of these materials are available at
				  the offices of the Division, and the cost of any copies shall not exceed ten
				  cents ($.10) per page.
Authority
					 G.S.
					 106-840;
					 106-850(a);
					 139-4;
Temporary
					 Adoption Eff. October 1, 2000;
Eff. August 1, 2002;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2006; July 1, 2004;
Transferred from
					 15A NCAC
					 06G .0101 Eff. May 1, 2012;
Pursuant to
					 G.S.
					 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without
					 substantive public interest Eff. September 19,
					 2015.