CREP Agreements & Current Status with New Farm Bill

[Doug Thomas]

Does your state have a current Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Agreement with the USDA?

If so, is your state’s program held up as rulemaking occurs on 2018 Farm Bill programs?

Are you pursuing any action from USDA on this, and what is the latest news you have heard from USDA?

Thank you in advance for any responses.

[RJ Spencer]

Doug,

Utah does not have a CREP program.
We are doing much with the Utah NRCS program, it is in huge transition.
What has been done in the past is no longer what district planners will be doing.

We are interested to find out what will happen in the coming months.

[Rob Hamilton]

Ohio has 2 CREP agreements and yes we cannot enroll or re-enroll acreage into CREPs. Our State FSA is uncertain of any timeframe at this point for sign-up to begin. We do need to amend our current agreements and need to start these discussions soon with USDA. As I understand there is a new CREP program manager.
With re-enrollments typically allowed to start in April I’m concerned with the delays and the potential backlog we may encounter at a local level.
Anything you hear that might be helpful please share.

[Kent Zimmerman]

Doug

Does your state have a current Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Agreement with the USDA? Yes

If so, is your state’s program held up as rule making occurs on 2018 Farm Bill programs? Yes, we have not received anything from them that they can move forward, we assume that is due to FSA’s staff waiting to get procedures in place.

Are you pursuing any action from USDA on this, and what is the latest news you have heard from USDA? No None

Kent

[Brian Cochrane]

For Washington State:

Does your state have a current Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Agreement with the USDA? Yes.

If so, is your state’s program held up as rulemaking occurs on 2018 Farm Bill programs? Yes, no new contracts are proceeding.

Are you pursuing any action from USDA on this, and what is the latest news you have heard from USDA? No.

Brian Cochrane
Habitat and Monitoring Coordinator
Washington State Conservation Commission

[Steven K. Frost]

The State of Kansas has a water conservation CREP program that has been in effect since 2007. Enrollment of our project has also been temporarily suspended pending resolution of some of the pending farm bill provisions. Our agency has been coincidentally involved in talks with FSA officials about possible revisions to our CREP program at this time, so the brief interruption of enrollment has fortunately not been an issue for us.

Steve Frost
Kansas State CREP Coordinator
Division of Conservation,
Kansas Department of Agriculture

[Matt McDonald]

Hi Doug,

Iowa currently does have a CREP program. It is not currently being held up as far as we know as we had all of our active projects and contracts signed prior to the New Farm Bill, and as such we don’t have any action to pursue with USDA at this time.

Matt McDonald

[Alisha Mulkey]

Maryland has a CREP agreement with USDA. No new contracts are being accepted at this time until the 2018 FB rules provide FSA the necessary guidance and authority. Timeline for resolution has not been provided, but we have a partner meeting March 11. I will update here if new insight is offered.

FYI – Maryland has a state cost-share program that covers CREP related practices so our producers have this option to proceed; however, many utilize CREP and state funds collectively so the absence of CREP monies will certainly hinder some contracts.

[Alison Volk]

In Wisconsin we have a CREP agreement with USDA and currently no new contracts are moving forward. We are waiting for further direction from FSA.

[Colleen Meredith]

Missouri used to have a CREP program but have not had one in place for at least 5 years.

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