Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

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ContinuousConservationReserveProgram
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CRP Objective

• CRPs objective is to cost-effectively assist
  owners and operators in conserving and improving
  the nations natural resource base.

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CCRP Purpose

• The purpose of CCRP is to enroll small,
  environmentally sensitive acreages.
• Practices generally provide high environmental
  benefits to large areas when compared to the
  acreage devoted to the practice.

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Eligible persons

• Individual
• Associations
• Trusts
• Legal Entities
• Local Governments
• Indian Tribal ventures

• Corporations
• Joint Stock Companies
• Estates
• State Governments
• Joint Operations

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Eligible persons

• Owned or Operated the land for 12 months before
  submitting offer.
• Acquired land by will or succession due to death.

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Eligible land

• Cropland planted or considered planted to an
  agricultural commodity during 4 of 6 crop years
  from 1996 through 2001.
• Physically and legally capable of being planted
  in a normal manner to an agricultural commodity,
  as determined by COC.

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Eligible land

• Marginal pastureland is NOT
• - Cropland, forest, or woodland.
• Must be
• - immediately adjacent parallel to qualifying
  water.
• - devoted to CP-22, CP-29, or CP-30.

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Eligible practices

• Riparian Buffers
• Wildlife Habitat Buffers
• Wetland Buffers
• Filter Strips
• Wetland Restoration
• Grass Waterways

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Eligible practices

• Shelterbelts
• Living Snow Fences
• Contour Grass Strips
• Shallow Water Areas For Wildlife
• Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds
• Longleaf Pine

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Annual Payments

• Cropland Maximum payment rate
• SRRs for the 3 predominant soils
• Practice Incentives
• Maintenance Rate.
• Marginal Pastureland Max pay rate
• MPALL
• Practice Incentives
• Maintenance Rate.

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CRP-SIP

• CRP-SIP is a one-time incentive payment for CP5A,
  CP8A, CP16A, CP17A, CP21, CP22, CP27, CP28, CP29,
  CP30, CP33, and CP36.
• CRP-SIP is calculated by multiplying the number
  of eligible acres enrolled times the number of
  full years of CRP-1 times 10.

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PIP

• PIP is a one-time incentive payment applicable to
  all CCRP practices except CP15B, CP23, CP23A, and
  CP31.
• PIP is equal to 40 percent of the total eligible
  cost of practice installation.

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Soil Rental Rates (SRRs)

• Soil Rental Rates are based on the relative
  productivity of the soil type and the dryland
  cash rental rate estimate for the county.

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Marginal Pastureland Rental Rates (MPLALLs)

• One rate per county.
• Rate reflects grazing land cash rental value of
  most recent 3 years.

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• ConservationPlanDevelopment

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Establishing Practices

• CCRP participants shall agree to establish and
  maintain approved practices according to the
  conservation plan of operations.
• Approved permanent cover is required to be seeded
  within 12 months after the CRP-1 effective date.
  However, NRCS or TSP, in consultation with COC,
  may permit up to an additional 12 months if any
  of the following apply

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• the specific site conditions require additional
  time to seed the approved cover
• the approved grass seed, grass mixture, trees, or
  shrubs are not available
• seed costs will create an adverse economic
  hardship on the participant.
• (Permitting an additional 12 months to seed shall
  be on case-by-case basis and recorded in
  conservation plan.)

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Additional 12 Months

• COC may approve a revised plan to allow up to an
  additional 12 months to seed if
• the approved grass seed, grass mixture, trees, or
  shrubs are not available
• seed costs will create an adverse economic
  hardship on the participant
• adverse weather prevents timely seeding the
  approved permanent cover.

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Temporary Covers

• If the approved cover cannot be seeded within 12
  months of the effective date of CRP-1, a
  temporary cover shall be seeded according to the
  conservation plan. Cost share for the temporary
  cover, if needed, is authorized.
• Viable native or tame grass species that are
  adequately controlling erosion may be adequate
  temporary cover.

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Maintaining Practices

• CRP cover maintenance is the participants
  responsibility, without cost-share assistance.
• Maintenance, such as spraying and mowing is
  required to control erosion, undesirable
  vegetation, weeds, insects, rodents, etc.
• After establishment, all maintenance activities
  shall be conducted outside the primary nesting
  season. (April 15-September15)

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Managing Practices

• All CRP participants beginning with SU26 are
  required to perform management activities
  designed to ensure plant diversity and wildlife
  benefits, while ensuring protection of the soil
  and water resources.
• Management activities must be conducted outside
  the primary nesting season.
• Management activities are eligible for C/S.

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Cost Share Policy

• References
• - 2-CRP Part 20
• - 1-CONSV

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Component Codes 2-CRP Ex.9
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Permissive Uses of CRP

• Customary forestry activities, such as pruning,
  thinning, or timber improvement may be conducted
  anytime, including during the primary nesting
  season.
• Turn rows or crossing areas.
• Public use (gas lines, cable, telephone poles,
  etc.)
• Carbon sequestration credits
• Recreational hunting.

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• Commercial shooting preserve under certain
  situations
• Applying waste products on the CRP land
• Windmills, wind turbans, etc.
• Haying and grazing under certain conditions.

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Restrictive Uses of CRP

• No crop of any kind may be harvested from CRP
  acreage during the CRP-1.
• Pine straw harvest is prohibited at all times.
• Cosmetic mowing is prohibited at all times.

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Practice Certification

• FSA County Offices shall determine the total
  number of AD-862s that must be certified by NRCS
  or TSP. NRCS or TSP must certify 10 percent of
  AD-862s.
• Practices with greater technical complexity shall
  be given priority when selecting the 10 percent.
• i.e. CP8A, CP9, CP21, CP22, CP23, etc.

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Status Reviews

• NRCS or TSP will complete a status review with
  the participant and COC representative, if
  possible, on up to 10 percent of al CRP-1s
  before the end of each FY until all practices in
  the plan are applied and the cover is
  established.
• NCDFR will provide NRCS or TSP with 2 listings by
  name and CRP-1 number for contracts having tree
  plantings that

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• do not have adequate cover established or require
  replanting
• have established adequate tree cover and have not
  been reported as established
• have not been thinned according to the
  conservation plan.
• NRCS or TSP will provide FSA a copy of this list
  indicating Final Status Review.

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• NRCS or TSP will provide COC signed copies of the
  annual status reviews and the following, if
  applicable
• the reason why the practices have not been
  established
• why the practice does not meet the design
  standards and specifications
• what action must be taken for the practice to
  meet the standards and specifications

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• the estimated time it will take to meet the
  standards and specifications

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Spot Checks

• FSA will conduct annual spot checks after NRCS or
  TSP certifies on a final status review that the
  practice is established .
• FSA shall conduct annual spot checks on at least
  10 percent of CRP-1s. 5 percent of the selected
  farms should have an onsite visit.

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Potential CREPExpansion