The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to develop new partnerships and increase voluntary conservation efforts with the agriculture industry and private landowners, by investing in additional staff and loosening the rules of a matching-funds requirement.
The department "is leveraging its authorities under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)" to implement the expansion, the USDA announced on its website Dec. 20.
"CREP is part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and enables USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), through Farm Service Agency (FSA), and partners to co-invest in partner-led projects. CREP also plays an important role in USDA’s broader climate change strategy, bringing together producers, landowners and partners for climate-smart land management," the department stated in the announcement.
To facilitate the new partnerships, the USDA has updated CREP’s rule regarding matching fund requirements, allowing partners to now provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions or technical assistance, the announcement states. This updates a previous requirement that 50% of matching funds from partners be made in the form of direct payments.
Additional staff has also been hired to work with existing partners in implementing programs and expanding program availability. The staff will be divided up regionally, the USDA stated in the announcement.
FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said the agency is excited to work local partners on the priorities important to local communities, such as water quality, conservation and wildlife habitat, and climate outcomes, according to the announcement.
“CRP is one of the most flexible tools we have for locally driven, partner-led efforts to reward producers and drive important environmental and climate outcomes,” Ducheneaux said.
CREP currently has 34 projects in 26 states, representing more than 860,000 acres enrolled in the program, according to the USDA. Partners include states, tribal groups and non-governmental organizations. Through their work, CREP hopes to bring together producers, landowners and partners for climate-smart land management, the USDA states.
