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Do you have marginal pastureland (land immediately adjacent and parallel to either a perennial stream, seasonal stream, or permanent water body) that is suitable for use as a riparian buffer or for similar water quality purposes; or cropland that was planted to an agriculture commodity four of the previous six crop years from 2002â2007? If so, you may be interested in the CRP/CREP program.
FSA will pay ten to fifteen year annual rental payments to eligible producers in exchange for establishing long-term,
resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water and air, control soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitat on qualifying land.
Under CR, FSA will also pay up to 50% of the cost to install approved conservation practices such as fencing, stream crossing, tree planting, and the installation of livestock watering facilities.
Additional payments include:
⢠An up-front CRP Signing Incentive Payment (CRP-SIP) of $100 per acre will be provided to eligible participants who enroll selected practices. This one-time payment will be made after the contract is approved and all payment eligibility criteria met.
⢠An additional Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) equal to 40 percent of the eligible installation cost will be provided to eligible participants enrolling certain practices. This one-time payment will be issued after the practice is installed, eligible costs are verified, and other payment eligibility criteria are met.
⢠A one time, lump-sum incentive payment for acres enrolled and accepted into CREP from the State of West Virginia.
Producers may enroll in CRP/CREP at any time under continuous sign-up. Offers are automatically accepted provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements.
General Conservation Reserve Program Signup
FSA will hold a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up from March 14 through April 15, 2011.
CRP is a voluntary program that helps agricultural producers use environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to control soil erosion, improve water and air quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 to 15 years. Accepted contracts for sign-up 41will begin on Oct. 1, 2011.
Land that is not currently enrolled in CRP may be offered for enrollment during CRP sign-up 41. In addition, CRP participants with contracts expiring on Sept. 30, 2011, may submit offers.
To be eligible for placement in general sign-up CRP, land must be cropland (including field margins) that is planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity four of the six crop years from 2002 to 2007, and be physically and legally capable of being planted (no planting restrictions due to an easement or other legally binding instrument) in a normal manner to an agricultural commodity. Alfalfa or other multiyear grasses and legumes grown in a rotation not to exceed 12 years may be eligible for this year.
FSA will rank offers for CRP sign-up 41 according to the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI). FSA collects data (primarily based on location, soils information and selected conservation practice) and determines the environmental indices for the land offered.
FSA ranks each eligible offer in comparison to all other offers and selects from that ranking. After the sign-up ends, the Secretary will decide where to make the EBI cutoff. Those who have met previous sign-up EBI thresholds are not guaranteed a contract under this sign-up. Producers may consult with local FSA and NRCS staff on how to maximize EBI points and increase the likelihood that their offer will be accepted.
For information on FSA programs or other policies and procedures contact the Gilmer-Calhoun FSA Office at (304) 462-7171 extension 2 or visit the office located in the Glenville Post Office Building, Room 122. Special accommodations will be made, upon request, for persons with disabilities, vision or hearing impairments. Please call if accommodations are required.
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