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Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

  1. CREP is a voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water. The program is a partnership among producers; tribal, state, and federal governments; and, in some cases, private groups. CREP is an offshoot of the country's largest private-lands environmental improvement program - the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CREP is administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). By combining CRP resources with state, tribal, and private programs, CREP provides farmers and ranchers with a sound financial package for conserving and enhancing the natural resources of farms. This program was initiated following the 1996 farm bill and is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation, CCC. [source: Conservation Programs, United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=cep]