LANSING – Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced a pivotal conservation agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (FSA), which reinstates Michigan’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
CREP is a partnership between the state of Michigan, the USDA Farm Services Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, conservation districts, and other partners to implement voluntary conservation practices in the Western Lake Erie Basin, Lake Macatawa, and Saginaw Bay watersheds. It will further protect the state’s environmental and natural resources.
Under CREP, landowners agree to install and maintain at least one, if not several, of six possible conservation practices (filter strips, riparian buffer, sediment control structure, field windbreak, wetland restoration, and grass, forb, and legume buffers) for up to 15 years. In return, USDA-FSA will reimburse up to half of the costs to install those practices plus additional financial incentives. MDARD will then reimburse the remaining half of the practice installation costs plus offer a sign-up incentive and a maintenance payment. Sign-up for CREP is ongoing until funds are depleted.
MDARD is also partnering with Michigan State University Extension to help with landowner outreach and training conservation district technicians who, along with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, will also assist in conservation practice implementation.
Landowners interested in applying for CREP should contact their local conservation district or the USDA’s Service Center.
The Cass County Conservation District is located at 1127 E. State Street, Cassopolis, MI. Phone: 269.445.8641. Find them online at https://cassccdistrict.org.
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