| USDA Programs |
Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP)
The Conservation Reserve Program reduces soil erosion,
protects the Nation's ability to produce food and fiber,
reduces sedimentation in streams and lakes, improves
water quality, establishes wildlife habitat, and
enhances forest and wetland resources. It encourages
farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other
environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover,
such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings,
trees, filterstrips, or riparian buffers. Farmers
receive an annual rental payment for the term of the
multi-year contract. Cost sharing is provided to
establish the vegetative cover practices. |
Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a joint
program between the state of Illinois and the USDA to
address environmental problems within the Illinois River
watershed. The goals of the program are to reduce
sedimentation and nutrients in the Illinois River and
increase populations of waterfowl and native fish and
mussels. The program provides additional incentives for
farmers to enroll environmentally sensitive land in the
Conservation Reserve program (CRP)
To be eligible for the CREP program, you must be
eligible to be enrolled in the continuous CRP Program.
It must be cropland that has been cropped 2 out of the
last 5 years. For Kane and DuPage Counties, land must be
located in the Lower Fox River Watershed which includes
Blackberry, Big Rock-Welch, Ferson-Otter, Indian, Little
Rock, Mill, and Waubonsee Creeks. Land must meet
eligibility requirements as either Highly Erodible Land
or Riparian Buffer. Land eligible as Highly Erodible
Land must be adjacent to a stream and may be devoted to
permanent native grasses, tree planting, or permanent
wildlife habitat.
Land eligible as frequently flooded land, farmed
wetlands, and prior converted wetlands may be devoted to
shallow water areas for wildlife, wildlife food plots,
filter strips, riparian buffers, or wetland restoration.
Most of the area to be enrolled will be limited to the
land within the 100 year floodplain and associated
buffer zone.
Participants in the Illinois CREP program will receive a
30% increase above the annual per acre rental rate for
enrollment of riparian buffers, filter strips, and
wetland restoration or a 20% increase for erodible
areas. The Federal Government will pay 50% of the cost
of establishing the new vegetative cover and provide $5
an acre for annual maintenance costs.
In addition, landowners who wish to extend their CREP
contracts beyond the 15 year federal contract will be
offered additional incentives by the State Government.
Participants will be offered 15 year, 35 year, or
permanent easement options. Those opting for a permanent
easement will receive reimbursement of the remaining 50%
of costs to establish vegetative practices and a lump
sum payment equal to the CRP maximum annual payment
times 15 times 30% per acre. Landowners choosing 15 or
35 year easements will receive reimbursement of 40% of
the remaining costs to establish practices and 50% or
75% respectively of the lump sum payment for the
permanent easement. In addition, those installing filter
strips may be eligible for a reduction in property
taxes.
The landowners must agree to keep the conservation
practices in place for the duration of the easement.
There will be no development allowed on the property.
The easement does not allow for the right of public
access to the property and the landowner retains rights
to use the property for undeveloped recreational uses,
including hunting and fishing. |
Conservation Stewardship
Program
The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)
provides matching funds to help purchase development
rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in
agricultural uses. Working through existing programs,
USDA partners with State, tribal, or local governments
and non-governmental organizations to acquire
conservation easements or other interests in land from
landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the fair
market easement value of the conservation easement.
To qualify, farmland must: be part of a pending offer
from a State, tribe, or local farmland protection
program; be privately owned; have a conservation plan
for highly erodible land; be large enough to sustain
agricultural production; be accessible to markets for
what the land produces; have adequate infrastructure and
agricultural support services; and have surrounding
parcels of land that can support long-term agricultural
production. Depending on funding availability, proposals
must be submitted by the eligible entities to the
appropriate NRCS State Office during the application
window.
More information |
Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides
technical, educational, and financial assistance to
eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water,
and related natural resource concerns on their lands in
an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.
The program provides assistance to farmers and ranchers
in complying with Federal, State, and tribal
environmental laws, and encourages environmental
enhancement. The program is funded through the Commodity
Credit Corporation. The purposes of the program are
achieved through the implementation of a conservation
plan which includes structural, vegetative, and land
management practices on eligible land. Five- to ten-year
contracts are made with eligible producers. Cost-share
payments may be made to implement one or more eligible
structural or vegetative practices, such as animal waste
management facilities, terraces, filter strips, tree
planting, and permanent wildlife habitat. Incentive
payments can be made to implement one or more land
management practices, such as nutrient management, pest
management, and grazing land management.
Fifty percent of the funding available for the program
will be targeted at natural resource concerns relating
to livestock production. The program is carried-out
primarily in priority areas that may be watersheds,
regions, or multi-state areas, and for significant
statewide natural resource concerns that are outside of
geographic priority areas.
More information |
Farm and Ranch Lands
Preservation Program (Kane only) (FRPP)
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a
voluntary conservation program that encourages producers
to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner
by: Undertaking additional conservation activities; and
Improving, maintaining, and managing existing
conservation activities. CSP is available on Tribal and
private agricultural lands and non-industrial private
forest land in all 50 States and the Caribbean and
Pacific Islands Areas. The program provides equitable
access to all producers, regardless of operation size,
crops produced, or geographic location. The Secretary of
Agriculture has delegated the authority for CSP to the
NRCS Chief.
More information
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Forestry
Incentives Program (FIP)
The Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) supports good
forest management practices on privately owned,
non-industrial forest lands nationwide. FIP is designed
to benefit the environment while meeting future demands
for wood products. Eligible practices are tree planting,
timber stand improvement, site preparation for natural
regeneration, and other related activities. FIP is
available in counties designated by a Forest Service
survey of eligible private timber acreage.
More information |
Stewardship
Incentives Program (SIP)
The Stewardship Incentive Program provides technical and
financial assistance to encourage non-industrial private
forest landowners to keep their lands and natural
resources productive and healthy. Qualifying land
includes rural lands with existing tree cover or land
suitable for growing trees and which is owned by a
private individual, group, association, corporation,
Indian tribe, or other legal private entity. Eligible
landowners must have an approved Forest Stewardship Plan
and own 1,000 or fewer acres of qualifying land.
Authorizations may be obtained for exceptions of up to
5,000 acres. |
Wetlands Reserve
Program (WRP)
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to
restore wetlands. Participating landowners can establish
conservation easements of either permanent or 30-year
duration, or can enter into restoration cost-share
agreements where no easement is involved. In exchange
for establishing a permanent easement, the landowner
receives payment up to the agricultural value of the
land and 100 percent of the restoration costs for
restoring the wetlands. The 30-year easement payment is
75 percent of what would be provided for a permanent
easement on the same site and 75 percent of the
restoration cost. The voluntary agreements are for a
minimum 10-year duration and provide for 75 percent of
the cost of restoring the involved wetlands. Easements
and restoration cost-share agreements establish wetland
protection and restoration as the primary land use for
the duration of the easement or agreement. In all
instances, landowners continue to control access to
their land.
More information |
Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides
financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and
wildlife on private lands. Participants agree to
implement a wildlife habitat development plan and USDA
agrees to provide cost-share assistance for the initial
implementation of wildlife habitat development
practices. USDA and program participants enter into a
cost-share agreement for wildlife habitat development.
This agreement generally lasts a minimum of 10 years
from the date that the contract is signed.
More information |
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| SWCD and Conservation 2000
Programs |
Conservation
Practices Program (CPP)
Each fiscal year the SWCD has cost-share funds available
for various conservation practices. Practices included
in the program are Filter Strips, Field Border Strips,
Grassed Waterways, Critical Area Plantings, No-Till,
Terraces, and Grade Stabilization Structures. A new
CPP-Special Project cost share program is now available
for practices not on the state-wide docket in order to
meet local natural resource priorities. Examples of
potential pilot projects include, but are not limited
to: stream crossings, shelterbelts, windbreaks,
ecologically sensitive area protection - karst, urban
gully restoration, retention pond buffers, rain gardens,
shoreline stabilization, and heavy livestock use area
protection. The applications needed for this type of
project include the CPP ESC-1 form and also SP1 and 2.
Contract sign-up is typically in July at the beginning
of the SWCD fiscal year, although notification of your
interest in the program can be discussed at any time of
year. The SWCD board of directors will prioritize the
applications received based on tons of soil saved, acres
benefited, cost per acre of practice, and cost per ton
of soil saved. Practices must be installed in the Fall
or Spring of that Fiscal year.
To be eligible, landowners need to have a conservation
plan approved by the SWCD. To receive cost share, the
land upon which the landuser intends to install the
practice must be experiencing sheet and rill erosion
exceeding T (tolerable levels) or ephemeral/gully
erosion.
CPP funds are available through the Conservation 2000
legislation to help landowners achieve the T by 2000
goals set by the state of Illinois. Achieving tolerable
soil loss levels on cropland will assure productive
agricultural lands for the future as well as help
improve water quality.
Application Forms: Please
contact the SWCD for assistance in obtaining and filling
out the application. |
Tax
Incentive Filter Strip Program
As an incentive for installing protective vegetative
filter strips on land adjacent to surface or ground
water sources, landowners may receive a reduced property
tax assessment of 1/6th of its value as cropland.
Landowners can expect to save about $1 to $25 per acres
in taxes depending on soils and local tax rates.
Vegetative filter strip design and certification
assistance is available from the Soil and Water
Conservation District office. |
Streambank
Stabilization & Restoration Program (SSRP)
Streambank erosion is a natural wearing away of soil and
rock that forms streambanks. This natural process has
been accelerated by activities that increase drainage
water flow and water velocity, including stream
channelization and straightening, removal of streamside
vegetation, and construction of impervious surfaces.
Streambank erosion, a major source of sediment buildup
in bodies of water, threatens soil, water, plant and
animal resources. It decreases the depth and holding
capacity of lakes and reservoirs and reduces stream
channel capacity, which increases the likelihood of
flooding and additional streambank erosion. Excessive
flooding degrades water quality and damages fish and
wildlife habitat.
The streambank stabilization and restoration program is
designed to demonstrate effective, inexpensive
vegetative and bio-engineering techniques for limiting
streambank erosion. Program monies fund demonstration
projects at suitable locations statewide and provide
cost-share assistance to landowners with severely
eroding streambanks.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois' Soil
and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) and the Natural
Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (NRCS) serve as partners in implementing the
program.
Eligibility:
Both cost-share assistance and demonstration project
funding require sites meet assessment and selection
criteria established for successful streambank
stabilization using vegetative or other bio-engineering
techniques. Program funds may be used for labor,
equipment and materials. Proposals must be sponsored by
the local SWCD. An independent committee selects grant
recipients in the fall of the year. Recipients of
cost-share and demonstration project funding must agree
to maintain streambank stabilization practices for at
least 10 years.
Application Forms: Please
contact the SWCD for assistance in obtaining and filling
out the application. |
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