USDA, Indiana Partner to Expand CREP
Published: Friday, September 27, 2024
Farmers across Indiana soon will be able to apply for a federal conservation program that pays them to set aside environmentally sensitive lands.
At a ceremonial signing event held last Wednesday near Pierceton, the head of the Farm Service Agency in Washington and the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture signed an expansion of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in Indiana.
CREP is a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the country's largest conservation program.
CREP is currently available in 11 watersheds in the Hoosier state, but with last Wednesday's signing, the program will expand to all 38 of Indiana's watersheds beginning Oct. 1. Enrollment for producers is available year-round. Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.
FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux and ISDA Director Don Lamb signed the paperwork that officially expands the CREP program in Indiana. On hand were Indiana FSA Director Julia Wickard, state conservationist Damarys Mortenson, host farmers Don and Darci Zolman, members of the Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District board, and other dignitaries.
"What you see here, behind me and all around us, is 65.34 acres of CRP and 63.03 of that is in the CREP program, which I kind of embody as CRP on steroids," said Wickard.
The Zolmans have various conservation practices on this land that include filter strips, waterways and wetland restoration.
"The signing today is for the wetland restoration practice, which is a 45.57-acre tract which actually began on Feb. 1, 2018 and is in a 15-year contract," Wickard added.
Not much of the wetland currently has any water, as the weather has been dry since last August. But as the state FSA director pointed out, the CREP program "works when it needs to."
In exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and establishing permanent resource conserving plant species, landowners are paid an annual rental rate along with other federal and non-federal incentives as specified in each CREP agreement.
Currently, CREP has 40 projects in 26 states covering more than 678,000 acres. A little more than 22,000 acres are in Indiana, but that number is expected to grow to 38 watershed and 100,000 acres.
During his turn at the microphone, Lamb credited the many partnerships that paved the way for last Wednesday's announcement. Some of those partners include USDA, soil and water conservation districts, the Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy and others. He also praised farmers, the "first and best environmentalists," he said.
"This is a big, big deal," he said. "Indiana is well-positioned to protect our streams, our rivers, our flood plains, restore wetlands, not to mention the benefits to our natural wildlife and public recreation."
Lamb added that ISDA's economic development initiative involves more than international trade and the Indiana Grown program. Soil conservation contributes to the quality of both water and soil, which all leads to quality of life.
"If we don't have quality of life, we don't have people who want to live here in our state," he said. "It is definitely a part of economic development."
Ducheneaux, who was appointed by President Biden in 2021, praised the Zolmans for enrolling their farm in the CREP program.
"This is fantastic," he said. "This is what it should look like when the federal government has the resources to use to help producers meet their resource concerns."
He added that this is what conservation and production look like "hand in hand."
Ducheneaux said that money spent on USDA conservation programs—in this case, a 60-40 funding split between federal and state governments—will pay long-term dividends for agriculture.
"But if we scrimp and save here, we're going to short-change our future," he said. "So, it's important that we're able to realize this is part of a long-term investment."
CREP participation is voluntary, and the contract period is typically 10-15 years, he said.
What taxpayers get in return for their investment is a sanctuary for birds, deer, pollinators and other wildlife, as well as a storage area for excess water during wet periods. On the Zolman farm, the owners refer to it as an oasis.
"Our home is a mix of an environmentalist and a production agriculturalist," said Darci, the former SWCD director for Kosciusko County. "We try to look at all of our farm practices in a holistic way. We know that (at) this particular farm ... this just a much better use for this land. We're trying to find a balance between production agriculture and being good environmental stewards."
Her husband, the agriculturalist, said incorporating conservation practices on the farm has been a lifelong pursuit.
The parcel of land enrolled in the CREP program is "ideal" because of the high variability of soils and the topography. The wetland supports numerous wildlife and plants.
"The other thing is, after a long day bouncing up and down in the tractor, I can come back to this," he said. "It's nice to have a little piece like this where you can go and escape from reality."
Farmers who sign up for CREP must agree to certain management practices. One big rule is to avoid mowing during the nesting season between April 1 and Aug. 1.
Enrollment for producers is available year-round as signups are ongoing. Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or visit the CREP for Producers webpage.
With low crop prices expected to continue indefinitely, Ducheneaux said he expects farmers will seriously consider conservation programs as a new income opportunity for marginal land.
Commenting on the farm bill discussions taking place in Washington, Ducheneaux said he is concerned about what might happen if Congress can't reach an agreement on the farm bill before it expires on Sept. 30. It's possible that FSA and NRCS employees won't receive paychecks during the first week of October.
"This is a critical time for us, and we need our friends up at the other end of the street to really dig in and get together on the solutions that we all know we need," he said.
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