By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Hoosier land eligible for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has grown from about 7,000 acres to more than 26,000, program officials announced Friday.
Participants in CREP receive financial assistance for converting marginal cropland or other eligible land into trees, native grasses, wetlands or other vegetation. CREP is administered in the state by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).
The announcement expands from three to 11 the number of watersheds included in the program. Land in all or part of 65 counties is now eligible.
“This is another tool for farmers to use as part of a farm management program,” said Julia Wickard, Indiana FSA state executive director. “It also shows how important conservation is to Indiana and to the agricultural community.”
The 11 watersheds drain into the Wabash River. Officials eventually hope to see 26,250 acres enrolled in the program.
“This is a way more landowners can participate in this voluntary program,” said Joe Kelsay, ISDA director. “It allows them the opportunity to play a role in conservation and natural resources. Farmers take this seriously and they’re always looking for ways to do that.”
Wickard, Kelsay and Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman met Friday at Starkey Farms in Brownsburg to make the announcement.
“I was proud to sign the state’s first CREP agreement in 2005, and I am proud to see this significant expansion today,” Skillman said. “This, along with other massive efforts, has made Indiana a national model for conservation.”
Indiana is taking a more proactive approach to conservation, Kelsay said. “We may have lagged behind a bit on some conservation efforts, but we’re hoping to close that gap. But we’re certainly not the last to the table.”
CREP offers funding for several conservation practices, including filter strips, wetland restoration and riparian buffers, with the goal of reducing sediment and nutrient runoff, and enhancing wildlife habitat. Since the program began in Indiana, 793 farmers have enrolled approximately 5,700 acres, Wickard said.
Over the course of the contracts, which run 14-15 years, participants receive incentive payments, annual rental payments and cost-share assistance. The USDA contributes $67.5 million of the total cost, which is about $85 million, according to figures from ISDA and the state FSA. Indiana contributes the rest through the Clean Water Indiana fund and in-kind services.
Signup for CREP began Friday and will run until the acreage goal is met.
“Once the crop comes off this fall and producers can look at their fields, I think we’ll see increased interest,” Wickard said. “It will be an opportunity for them to determine which fields are less productive. For example, there may be an issue with crop growth.”
The 11 watersheds eligible for CREP are Tippecanoe, Upper White River, Highland/Pigeon, Lower East Fork White, Lower Wabash, Lower White, Middle Wabash-Busseron, Middle Wabash-Deer, Middle Wabash-Little Vermillion, Upper East Fork White and Upper Wabash.
All or parts of 65 counties are eligible. The counties, all in the Wabash River watershed, are Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Daviess, Delaware, Decatur, Dubois, Fountain, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Morgan, Montgomery, Noble, Owen, Orange, Parke, Pike, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Starke, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Wells, Whitley, Warren, Warrick, Washington and White.
For more information, see www.in.gov/isda/ 2561.htm online or contact an area FSA or Soil and Water Conservation District office. |
