Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

Yes. Existing practices for expired CREP contracts must be re-enrolled before the contract expires. If the deadline is missed, the site may be enrolled as a new contract under current eligibility requirements, but only if the practice is needed and feasible. Contracts with existing planted to trees must be re-enrolled before the contract date expires because those contracts will not meet the “able to be cropped” requirement once the current contract expires. Re-enrolled contracts are eligible for Maryland’s $100 per acre sign-up bonus.

The same parcel of land may not be enrolled in CREP and CRP at the same time; however, CRP participants with expiring contracts may enroll in a new CREP contract at attractive rates and qualify for $100 per acre in federal and state sign-up bonuses if all eligibility requirements are met.

CRP practices that qualify for CREP must be next to a stream or waterway or located on highly erodible land that is within 1,000 feet of a stream. Cropland may be eligible if it was planted to an agricultural commodity, can meet cropping history requirements, and is still physically and legally capable of being planted. Marginal pastureland next to a stream may also be eligible for certain practices.

Yes. You may change the current conservation practice, but only if it results in a higher environmental benefit as determined by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) or the soil conservation district.

You may re-enroll the entire acreage previously under contract.

No. Each strip must be re-enrolled separately. When you re-enroll additional strips, you can request a shorter contract length so that all re-enrolled contracts expire at the same time.

You may choose not to re-enroll the first stacked buffer when the contract expires, but you will be required to maintain the entire buffer until the other contract(s) expires. Otherwise, you would be out of compliance with CREP because the outer stacked buffer would not meet the practice requirements.