Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is sponsored by Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). A state and federal partnership with the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation aiming to add up to 10,000 acres of Delaware agricultural land to the USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, providing funding to support land conservation practices.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - DNREC Div. of Climate, Coastal and Energy Div. of Waste and Hazardous Substances Div.

of Fish and Wildlife Div. of Parks and Recreation Div.

of Watershed Stewardship Environmental Justice at DNREC Environmental Appeals Board Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board Beaches are a Natural Resource Indian River Inlet Sand Bypass Coastal Construction Permits Determining Dredging Priorities Indian River Inlet North Beach Repair Project Indian River Near Millsboro Beneficial Use Dredging Project White Creek and Assawoman Canal Dredging Waterway Management Workshops Monitoring and Assessment Wetland Plant Field Guide Real Estate Professionals and Wetlands Watershed Assessment and Management Recreational Water Quality Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Delaware Shellfish Program Sediment and Stormwater Program Sediment and Stormwater Applications Training and Certification Drainage and Stormwater Assistance Wetland And Channel Restoration Chesapeake Implementation Program DNREC is part of a state and federal partnership with the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation, that aims to add up to 10,000 acres of Delaware agricultural land to the USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

Landowners in the CREP receive funding to support land conservation practices. For more information, contact your local FSA office Learn more about USDA conservation programs Under the voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the state identifies high-priority conservation goals. Federal funding from the CRP is supplemented with non-federal funds to achieve those goals.

Resources are available to program participants who enroll in the CRP for 10- to 15-year contracts.

The purposes of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program are to: Reduce the amount of sediment, phosphorus, and other pollutants in waterways The goals of the program are to: Facilitate nutrient and sediment reduction to help achieve Delaware’s water quality goals Establish conservation buffers on 1,200 miles of state waterways and drainage systems Increase wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors in the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and Inland Bays Restore natural conditions for water temperature and dissolved oxygen in areas protected by riparian buffers CP-3A: Hardwood Tree Planting CP-4D: Permanent Wildlife Habitat CP-9: Shallow Water Area for Wildlife CP-23: Wetland Restoration CP-23A: Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain To be eligible for the program, at least 80% of a producer’s eligible land must be within the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay or Inland Bays watershed.

The land must adjoin drainage ditches, streams or other water bodies. For shallow water area practices, land does not have to be adjoining a ditch or stream. This land must be suitable for this practice as determined by NRCS.

The land must be in cropland or marginal pastureland, four out of six years, from 2012-2017. The landowner must have owned the land for 12 months (with certain exceptions). Marginal pastureland is suitable only for a riparian buffer.

United States Department of Agriculture, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Delaware Conservation Districts (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) Forest Service Related Topics: bmp , conservation , funding , landowner , nonpoint source , water quality , watershed stewardship Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy Division of Fish and Wildlife Division of Parks and Recreation Division of Watershed Stewardship Non-Discrimination Notice Built by the Government Information Center