Funding Database: Conservation Reserve Enhancement

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary conservation easement program that improves and protects water quality by encouraging farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land near streams or other approved water bodies from agricultural production. A CREP conservation easement is a written agreement between a landowner and the state in which there is an acquired interest in the land to install conservation practices that protect natural resources. With CREP, the state pays the landowner to limit future use of the land for activities such as crop farming and development. The landowner still retains private ownership of the land overall, subject to the easement.

CREP aims to restore and enhance riparian habitat corridors next to stream, drainage ditches, estuaries, wetlands and other watercourses. In addition, this program provides a mechanism to help farmers comply with the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Nutrient Strategy Rules and potential regulations or goals in other watersheds.

CREP is included within the larger, federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The CRP is a strictly federal program, while CREP works with North Carolina state agencies. This allows CREP to offer twice the soil rental rate for conservation easements. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency partners with the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NC DA&CS) to administer CREP.

Eligible Applicants

Landowners of agricultural lands operating for one year or more are eligible for the CREP program. Lands must be within the eligible region, including 76 counties in approved watersheds. Applicants must be the landowners of active croplands or marginal pasturelands. The USDA Farm Service Agency for your county will determine if your farm is eligible for funding.

Eligible Projects

CREP protects vulnerable landscapes through 10-, 15-, 30-year and permanent conservation easements. Projects also involve planting and management of cover vegetation to reduce nutrient runoff and soil erosion.

Funding Amount

Landowners receive annual payments and are reimbursed for their conservation practices. Landowners choosing to enroll in a 30-year or permanent easement will also receive a one-time lump-sum payment and may also be eligible to receive a tax incentive.

Application Schedule

Each county sets its own application schedule. Applications are not rolling, so contact your local soil and water conservation district representative to find your deadlines.

Application Process

Contact your local CREP representative (PDF), who will provide information on the relevant deadlines and initiate the application process.

Application Assistance

More information on the federal program can be found on the Farm Service Agency’s CREP webpage. NC DA&CS also posts frequently asked questions on the CREP webpage.

Funding Source

The USDA Farm Service Agency partners with the NC DA&CS to fund the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.