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Statewide Partnership brings Conservation Milestone

Agency: Agriculture and Rural Development

Media contacts: Jennifer Holton, MDARD, holtonj@michigan.gov or 517-284-5724 Ed Golder, DNR,    goldere@michigan.gov or 517-284-6241 

LANSING, MICH. – The Michigan Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) recently surpassed 75,000 acres of enrollment marking a significant milestone in the program’s 13-year history. The state is now 88 percent of the way to its overall goal of 85,000 acres enrolled in the program. Eligible lands for CREP fall within three priority watersheds: the Western Lake Erie Basin, Saginaw Bay and Lake Macatawa. To be enrolled, the land must have a cropping history of four out of the previous six years from 2008 to 2013.

The program is managed and supported by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Natural Resources (DNR). Michigan conservation districts provide the technical assistance to eligible landowners to design, layout, and implement the conservation projects.

“Farmers in these key watersheds continue to demonstrate their long term commitment to environmental protection by implementing best management practices to keep fertilizers on fields instead of washing into creeks and eventually reaching the Great Lakes and other waterways,” said MDARD Director Jamie Clover Adams. “CREP practices have helped reduce phosphorus and sediment run-off by about 65 percent on the farms participating in the program.” Of the 75,000 enrolled acres, approximately 16,000 are established permanent grasslands, 21,000 are restored wetlands, 38,000 are filter strips, and 50 acres are utilizing sediment retention control structures. The combination of these practices has led to a significant reduction of sediment and phosphorus run-off into the Western Lake Erie Basin, Saginaw Bay and Lake Macatawa.

Created in 2001, CREP’s purpose is to protect water and soil quality, as well as create and restore wildlife habitat. It establishes a partnership between the state and federal government to provide financial incentives to farmers that install approved conservation practices on their land. These practices include conservation easements, controlled livestock access, filter strips, field windbreaks, riparian buffers, shallow-water wildlife areas, and wetland restoration.

“The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program provides great benefit to both natural resources and agriculture,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh.  “As a state we have done everything possible to ensure that that the agricultural community and outdoors community work closely together for the common good. CREP is a perfect example of that ethic in action.”

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