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Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

CREP is a voluntary program aimed to retire environmentally sensitive land. It is a combination of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Reinvest in Minnesota program (RIM).

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CRP is administered by the USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) which turns agricultural land from farming and ranching into conservation habitat. Landowners enroll into CRP for 14-15 years and receive annual payments for the duration of the CRP contract.

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The same land is also enrolled into a state-funded perpetual conservation easement through RIM which is administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). With this program, private ownership continues and the land is permanently restored and enhanced for conservation benefits.

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Swamp milkweed
sunflowers in field
wetland at sunset

The goals of the CREP program are to:

  • Target riparian areas and marginal agricultural land

  • Restore hydrology, increase infiltration and provide flood mitigation

  • Provide habitat for wildlife, non-game species and pollinators

  • Reduce nitrate loading in drinking supplies

 CREP applications are part of a ranking process across the state. If the acres entered into an application for the CREP program rank high enough your property could be accepted. If accepted, the land is still owned by you and is NOT public land. CREP easements are not open to public hunting or public recreation. 

 

If you are interested in this program, please stop in or call our office.

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