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Conservation Reserve Program
© North Point State Park, Edgemere Md. General Description The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) encourages farmers to take highly erodible and other environmentally-sensitive farm land out of production for ten to fifteen years. CRP is designed to reduce sedimentation and soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance fish and wildlife habitat. The program is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in cooperation with local Soil Conservation Districts (SCDs) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Funding and Assistance Availability To be eligible, farms must be in commodity crops two of the five most recent crop years. Farmers receive annual rental payments, incentive payments for certain activities, and cost share assistance to establish approved cover on eligible land. Rental payments may not exceed $50,000 per person per year and cannot be higher than local rental rates for comparable land. Furthermore, CRP encourages wetlands restoration by offering an incentive payment equal to 25% of the incurred costs. This is in addition to the 50% cost-share provided to establish approved cover. Eligible acreage devoted to certain conservation practices such as streamside buffers, filter strips, grassed waterways, contour grass strips, salt tolerant vegetation, and shallow water areas for wildlife may be enrolled under continuous sign-up. All other eligible acreage must be enrolled during an annual CRP sign-up period.
Regional Contacts Maryland Farm Service Agency 8335 Guilford Road, Suite E Columbia, MD 21046 (410)381-4550
or call your local FSA office listed in the government pages of your phone book or you local SCD office.
This page was last updated 01/04/01 |
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The Forest Conservancy District Board for Baltimore County 9405 Old Harford Road Baltimore, Maryland 21234 (410) 665-5820 Email Robert Prenger ....... rprenger@dnr.state.md.us Melvin Noland ....... mlnoland@bcpl.net
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