Environment DEC
From the December 2003 issue
Farmland Conservation Program to Help Improve Water Quality
Governor George E. Pataki has announced an agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement the New York State Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). This voluntary land retirement program helps farmers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat and safeguard ground and surface water.
CREP enables farmers to be paid for removing environmentally sensitive land from crop production. Under CREP, farmers are encouraged to establish conservation buffers by replacing row crops and pastureland with native grasses, hardwood trees and other conservation practices to reduce erosion and runoff that contains sediment, nutrients and pathogens. Areas targeted for CREP include farmland next to streams and wellhead areas that are of public health and environmental importance.
By erecting a fence, this farmer created a
conservation buffer to reduce erosion
and runoff into a stream
The USDA has committed $52 million for the New York State CREP. The state will contribute $10.4 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, through a combination of grants, property tax incentives and technical assistance. This will bring the total committed to the program to more than $62 million over ten years.
Reimbursement for Farmers
In exchange for setting aside land, participating farmers will receive enhanced yearly rental payments for enrolled acreage. Farmers will be reimbursed for installing USDA-approved conservation practices and will receive incentive payments for certain conservation measures. Eligible farmers will also be able to take advantage of an annual tax credit for CREP-enrolled acres.
Goals of the Program
The goals of the New York State CREP include:
- Reducing nutrient loading of phosphorus by 72,642 pounds per year
- Reducing nitrogen by 38,688 pounds per year
- Reducing sedimentation by 105,000 tons per year
- Establishing riparian buffers next to 4,600 stream-miles and 473,000 acres of surface waters
CREP Program
The program will benefit 12 major New York watersheds, which encompass more than 30 million acres of land and include about 55 percent of the state's population. The goal is to enroll 40,000 acres in CREP.
The new CREP agreement is the third of its kind in New York State. Two existing CREP agreements cover the New York City and Skaneateles Lake watersheds.
The program will be administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency with the help of the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Interested farmers and landowners can sign up continuously for the program through December 31, 2007. For more information, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency.
