Illinois Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP):
CREP is an enhanced version of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The Illinois CREP program is intended for landowners with frequently flooded and environmentally sensitive cropland who want to enroll their land in a long-term easement ranging from 15 years to perpetuity. This program is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs). The goal of the program is to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff, improve water quality, and create and enhance critical habitat for fish and wildlife populations within the Illinois and Kaskaskia River Watersheds.
Landowners can enroll their frequently flooded and environmentally sensitive cropland in a Federal CREP contract through FSA. IDNR can then extend the environmental benefits of that Federal contract by enrolling the land into an Illinois CREP easement for either 15 years or in perpetuity beyond the expiration of the federal contract. In exchange for voluntarily removing land from production, landowners receive compensation to implement conservation practices.
Eligible land must be one of the following:
A flooded and/or wetland riparian area defined as:
Within the 100-year floodplain
Outside of the 100-year floodplain and is a farmed wetland or a prior converted wetland
A highly erodible riparian area, defined as cropland with a weighted average erodibility index of 8 or greater and located immediately adjacent to a riparian area within the 100-year floodplain
If you are interested in learning more about eligibility, enrollment options, or incentives, contact the Kendall County SWCD office for assistance. Additional information is also available on the CREP webpage.
CREP Resources: