Pollinator Habitat Initiative

Pollinator Habitat Initiative is sponsored by USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Supports the establishment of pollinator habitats through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), offering financial assistance to landowners for planting legume-rich forage or diverse wildflower plantings.

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farmweeknow. com/content/tncms/live/) # FSA, NRCS offer pollinator habitat options * Aug 3, 2017 Updated Oct 23, 2019 _**Editor’s note:** This is part of a series of stories prompted by farmers’ questions during Illinois Farm Bureau’s farm bill work sessions earlier this year. _ The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) probably first comes to mind when a farmer and/or landowner thinks of a USDA pollinator habitat program.

However, pollinator habitat options are also offered through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). "Farmers who are familiar with one habitat program may find other options they weren't aware of," said Lyndsey Ramsey, Illinois Farm Bureau associate director of natural and environmental resources. IFB wants to clarify USDA program details.

“A lot of people raised concerns about the pollinator program,” Ramsey said. “We want our members to know there are options to seed, enhance or protect pollinator habitat that don’t require setting land aside. ” USDA offers pollinator habitat as a continuous CRP practice, known as Conservation Practice 42 (CP42); however, the current situation is complicated.

The farm bill established a 24-million-acre cap and county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices are processing CRP CP42 applications received on or before May 3, said Kim Martin with Illinois FSA. County FSA staff may accept any CRP CP42 applications received May 4 or later, but cannot process those beyond determining their eligibility, Martin explained. Those offers are being considered for 2018.

On Dec. 1, 2016, FSA implemented changes that affect the CRP pollinator program. A one-time incentive payment for pollinator habitat was reduced by $25 per acre.

That incentive applies for enrollment of new CRP acres as pollinator habitat. In addition, FSA limited the per-acre payment rate on new CRP sign-ups to a maximum of $300 per acre. Payment rates on existing contracts remained at current levels.

Plus, FSA limited CP42 enrollment to a maximum of 100 acres per farm. However, farmers aren’t restricted to 100 contiguous acres, but may enroll strip parcels as small as 20 feet wide as long as the total CP42 acreage equals a half acre. Ramsey noted some farmers expressed concerns about incentives plus per-acre rental rates being too lucrative.

Others raised concerns that only larger parcels are eligible for CP42. Pollinator habitat, which is considered part of wildlife habitat, addresses resource concern through EQIP, explained Eric Gerth, assistant state conservationist for Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) financial assistance programs.

Illinois NRCS established a pool of funds for a wildlife habitat special initiative that covers numerous practices, including establishment of pollinator habitat. In addition, Illinois NRCS is in its second year of a monarch butterfly initiative that was established by the national NRCS office. Eligible practices are geared specifically to support monarchs and are fewer than those offered in the general wildlife habitat initiative.

Under EQIP, a farmer would receive payment to help establish the practice/practices agreed upon in the contract. While there are no minimum or maximum acreage limits, Gerth noted NRCS does not expect large EQIP areas. EQIP practices may be established in marginal areas, such as field borders.

Local NRCS staff help enrolled landowners develop a plan to meet EQIP standards and the financial assistance to establish that practice. Pollinator and wildlife habitat also are eligible practices through CSP. Under CSP, NRCS considers a farmer’s entire farming operation, such as that on record with FSA.

A farmer’s operation is assessed and ranked for stewardship. To apply for CSP, a farmer must agree to continue with his or her current conservation practices plus implement at least one new activity/practice, known as an enhancement. Gerth noted NRCS offers multiple activities, including wildlife/pollinator habitat and a monarch habitat.

“Through CSP, enhancements increase the (farm operation) ranking points and score, which dictates the payment per acre” across the entire farming operation for the five-year contract, Gerth explained. During the past six to seven years, Illinois CSP payments have averaged $21 per acre during an entire farming operation, Gerth said. CSP caps an individual farmer payment at $40,000 per year and an entity payment at $80,000 per year.

Contact FSA for more information on CRP pollinator habitat and NRCS for details on EQIP and CSP pollinator habitat. Or click here. * To view our latest E-edition click the image on the left.

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