Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

CREP is a voluntary program that pays landowners to install filter strips along waterways or return frequently flooded fields to wetlands, while leaving the remainder of the adjacent land in agricultural production. There is no minimum acreage for CREP, which allows landowners to enroll as much land as necessary to meet conservation goals. CREP is a joint effort between the Federal, State and County agencies. 

Environmental Benefits

• Improves water quality
• Reduces soil erosion
• Reduces amount of sediment, phosphorus and other pollutants from entering waterbodies
• Improves wildlife habitat

Benefits for Landowners

• Annual rental payments
• Upfront incentive payments
• Practices incentive payments to cover installation cost
• Land maintains agricultural property tax assessment
• Can help mitigate continual financial losses such as crop damage or seed and nutrient loss on frequently flooded land
• Can be used to help square up fields
• No public access is required.

Contract Length

There are two contract options

• 15-year Agreement
• Perpetual Conservation Easements

Eligibility

Eligible lands must be in the CREP project area that is shown on the map below. Eligible land must also be within 150 feet of a stream, waterbody, wetland or sinkhole. Additionally, land must meet crop rotation requirements or marginal pastureland qualifications.

Eligible practices for Riparian Project Area

• Filter Strips
• Riparian Buffers
• Grassed Waterways
• Wetland Restoration
• Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffers

Example of Riparian Buffers

For more information see links below or contact the Door County Soil & Water Conservation Department at (920) 746-2214.

Interested in CREP? Use the link below to find out if your land may be eligible

Potential (CREP) Stream and Wetland Buffers Interactive Map Instructions
Directions: Zoom in to view your area of interest.  Potential CREP buffer areas are shown at the maximum width of approximately 150 feet from streams and WDNR mapped wetlands.  Existing cropland areas within the 150-foot zone are displayed to indicate potential buffer sites.  The rental rate for the buffer is based on the soil type and can be found by clicking on the buffer. The cropland areas shown are based the 2020 Door County Land Use Inventory.   

CREP rental payments are higher than the displayed values, with additional signup bonus payments, plus grass or tree planting cost sharing. The USDA reviews each application site for crop history eligibility.  The USDA also determines a minimum width for each application. The Door County Soil & Water Conservation Department administers State CREP landowner payments, please our office if you are interested in CREP.

The maps and associated database information displayed here are copies of working files of Door County.  The data are updated periodically by multiple departments, so they may not represent current conditions or the same time period. The burden for determining fitness for use rest entirely upon the user of this website. Door County and its co-producers will not be liable in any way for the accuracy of the data and they assume no responsibility for direct, indirect consequential, or other damages. 

DATCP Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Website 

FSA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Fact Sheet (PDF)

CREP Training Video