Fact Sheet May 2006

United States Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Department of Agriculture Eastern Snake Plain

Overview ensure that irrigation water is con-  Improving habitat and popula- served during the 14- to 15-year tions of sage grouse, sharp- The Conservation Reserve En- CRP contract periods. tailed grouse and other hancement Program (CREP) is grassland-nesting birds by es- a federal-state cooperative con- Benefi ts tablishing up to 100,000 acres servation program that addresses of native grassland habitat in targeted agricultural-related envi- Enrolling up to 100,000 acres of the priority area; ronmental concerns. CREP par- eligible cropland will signifi cantly  Enhancing habitat for fi sh spe- ticipants voluntarily enroll in 14- to reduce irrigation water consump- cies by increasing stream fl ow; 15-year Conservation Reserve tion. The CREP will improve  Improving water quality by Program (CRP) contracts with water quantity and quality in the reducing soil erosion and USDA’s Commodity Credit Corpo- and its tributaries by non-point pollution adjacent to ration (CCC). Participants receive reducing agricultural chemicals streams and rivers; and fi nancial incentives, cost-share and sediments. Establishing per-  Reducing irrigation water assistance and rental payments in manent vegetative cover will pro- pumping power consumption exchange for removing cropland vide wildlife habitat for terrestrial by 300-350 million kilowatt and marginal pastureland from and aquatic species. hours annually. agricultural production. Convert- ing enrolled land to native grass- Goals Eligibility Requirements es, trees and other vegetation improves soil retention and water, The goals of the Idaho Eastern The Eastern Snake River Aquifer air and wildlife habitat quality. Snake Plain Aquifer CREP, when CREP Project area of eastern CRP and CREP are authorized by fully enrolled, include: Idaho includes all or parts of the the Food Security Act of 1985, as following counties: Ada, Bingham, amended.  Reducing irrigation water use Blaine, Butte, Camas, Cassia, by up to 200,000 acre-feet Clark, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, The Idaho Eastern Snake Plain annually by reducing or ceas- Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Aquifer CREP targets the enroll- ing water application on up Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Mini- ment of up to 100,000 acres of to 100,000 irrigated cropland doka, Owyhee and Twin Falls. In eligible irrigated cropland to re- acres; addition, all or parts of Bannock, duce irrigation water use, increase  Improving the Snake River’s Bonneville and Power counties water quality, reduce soil erosion water quality and fl ow by in- will be eligible if the total CRP en- and sedimentation and increase creasing the aquifer’s ground- rollment drops below 25 percent wildlife populations. The CREP water levels and tributary of the county’ s total cropland be- agreement is a partnership be- spring water discharge by up fore the CREP project reaches the tween USDA/CCC and the State to 180 cubic feet per second; 100,000 acre enrollment target. of Idaho. In addition to CREP  Establishing permanent veg- payments, Idaho State water au- etative covers to increase Cropland must be eligible for thorities will enter into State Water wildlife habitat and reduce CRP under normal CRP rules. In Use Contracts with participants the amount of agricultural this CREP project area, irrigated on CREP-enrolled land to help chemicals, non-point source cropland must be located within a contaminants and sediment entering the water; 1 continues Fact Sheet Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer

State CRP Conservation Priority Approved Conservation Prac- Snake Plain Aquifer” has been Area, or meet CRP’s highly erod- tices secured under the CREP at ible land eligibility requirements. the per-acre rates. The per- To better serve program goals, acre maximum irrigated rental In addition, cropland must: CCC has approved the following rate is the sum of: CRP conservation practices (CP)  The posted per-acre  Have been irrigated by ground for the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain weighted-average irrigated or surface water sources other Aquifer CREP: cropland rental rate; and than the main stem of the  A per-acre maintenance Snake River, at a rate no less  CP2 - Establishment of Per- incentive payment. than ½-acre-foot per acre for 4 manent Native Grasses; out of the 6 years, 1996-2001;  CP4D - Permanent Wildlife State of Idaho Payments  Have been irrigated or includ- Habitat, Noneasement; ed in an IDWR mitigation plan  CP12 - Wildlife Food Plot; Subject to contract terms and cer- within 24 months prior to offer  CP22 - Riparian Buffer (crop- tain limitations, the State of Idaho submission; and land only); and will provide the following pay-  Be physically and legally ca-  CP25 - Rare and Declining ments and assistance: pable of being irrigated in a Habitat. normal manner at the time of-  Idaho Incentive Payment: fers are submitted. CCC Payments One-time payment of $30 per acre to participants who: (Note: Non-irrigated center pivot Subject to contract terms and cer-  Have been diverting corners will not be eligible for en- tain limitations, CREP participants from the rollment in this project.) will be eligible for the following CREP project’s incentive types of CCC payments: area; and Before CCC can approve a CREP  Enter into an “Agreement contract, the producer must en-  Signing Incentive Payment: Not to Divert Water from ter into a water use contract with One-time additional payment the Eastern Snake Plain the State of Idaho. The contract, of $100 per acre for land en- Aquifer” for the contract’s “Agreement Not to Divert Water rolled in CP22. This payment duration. from the Eastern Snake Plain is made after the contract has  Water Rights Acquisition: Pro- Aquifer,” covers all irrigated crop- been signed and approved. vide $5 million to purchase land to be enrolled in CREP. Oth-  Practice Incentive Payment: permanent private water rights er conditions also apply. One-time additional rental within the CREP project area, payment equal to 40 percent most of which will not pertain Sign-up and Contract Duration of the eligible reimbursable to CRP acreage enrolled un- cost to establish CP22. der this CREP. The CREP sign-up begins May  Cost-share Assistance: Up to  Pay all costs associated with 30, 2006, and will continue until 50 percent cost-share of re- the CREP annual monitoring enrollment goals are attained, or imbursable costs to install ap- programs. through Dec. 31, 2007, which- proved conservation practices.  Provide technical assistance ever comes fi rst. Enrolled land  Annual Rental Payment: to help participants develop remains under contract for 14- to Annual payment based on conservation plans. 15-years, as specifi ed in the con- posted irrigated rental rates for  Contribute substantial ad- tract. each enrolled irrigated acre in ditional funding for water which an “Agreement Not to management activities, natu- Divert Water from the Eastern ral resource planning, CREP 2 continues Fact Sheet Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer

operations staffi ng and related For More Information functions consistent with the goals of the CREP project. More information on the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Cost CREP is available at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offi ces and The total cost over a 15-year pe- on FSA’s Web site at: www.fsa. riod is estimated at $258 million usda.gov/dafp/cepd/default.htm with CCC contributing $183 mil- lion, or 71 percent, and the State of Idaho funding $75 million, or 29 percent. The $258 million does not include any costs that may be assumed by producers.

CRP Enrollment

CREP is another option under CRP that farmers may select to enhance their land. Applicants may still enroll eligible land in the general CRP or continuous sign-up CRP. However, CREP provides additional benefi ts not available through general and/or continuous sign-up. For instance, CREP payments are at a higher effective per-acre payment rate because the payments are based on prevailing irrigated cash rental rates.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Haying and Grazing prohibits discrimination in all its program and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, Haying and grazing are not per- sex, marital status, familial status, parental sta- mitted during the CREP contract tus, religion, sexual orientation, genetic infor- mation, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all period unless CCC allows them or part of an individual’s income is derived from for emergency or managed haying any public assistance program. (Not all prohib- ited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with and grazing purposes, if applica- disabilities who require alternative means for ble, under normal CRP rules. communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To fi le a complaint of Dis- crimination, write to USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795- 3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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