Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is an opportunity for landowners to voluntarily enroll agricultural lands into conservation practices, such as riparian buffers, filter strips, wetland restorations, waterways and establishment of native grasslands.

Eligible lands are within 150 feet of a stream or water body in riparian project areas. You may be eligible if you have lands that fall within designated towns in the county, have a crop history (have been planted in a commodity crop in 2 out of the last 5 years), or meet marginal pastureland qualifications.

USDA makes annual rental payments for up to 15 years on enrolled acreage. The annual rental rates for cropland range from $35 to $120 per acre. USDA also provides an additional annual federal incentive payment from 35% to 60% of the annual rental rate. In additional to these annual payments, the federal government also pays $140-$150 per acre as an up-front one-time signing incentive payment for filter strips, riparian buffers and grassed waterways.

The State of Wisconsin offers an additional incentive as an up-front, one-time payment of 1.5 times the annual rental rate for 15 year agreements, and 12 times the annual rental rate for perpetual conservation easements.

The installation of conservation practices are cost-shared at a rate of 110%.

Click here to view a map of lands enrolled the CREP program as of March 2004.

For more information on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, call 715-726-7920.

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