(Spirit Lake)—Area producers are being reminded that the signup period for the general Conservation Reserve Program…or CRP… is underway. Larry Lago of the Dickinson County Farm Services Agency tells KUOO news the signup deadline in June 14th…(click here for comment.)
“It’s an opportunity for any operator or owner that has land that has been farmed in two out of the years of the six year period of 2002 to 2007, if there’s a cropping history there that individal can come in and offer that land for enrollment under the general sign up.”
Lago says applications through the general program are made on a competitive basis nationwide. He says several factors are considered before a decision is made on whether or not the land will actually be enrolled…(click here for comment.) “What will be looked at is the environment benefits index that’s associated with that enrollment of the land. Now what do I mean by EBI, or environment benefits index? There’s a calculation that’s made that will look at what kind of water quality concerns will be addressed, what’s the erosion ability of the land, what kinds of benefits can come out of what type of practices will be established; cost obviously is a factor; and if there’s any wildlife benefits that are associated with the type of practice that may be installed if the offer were accepted. That all has a point system to it. Those points are derived based upon a discussion with the producer and then they’re submitted to Washington and Washington looks at those offers after June 14th along with everything that is offered through the sign-up period, then they’ll reject or accept the offer.”
Lago says another option for producers is to sign up under the continuous CRP program…(click here for comment.) “Anyone that has a conservation resource need on their farm, as long as the area that they’re concerned with has been in a cropping pattern and again those, two of those six-year periods that I talked about with the general, those individuals can come in, we’ll take a look at what they would like to install for a practice on the area that has the concern. Let’s take for example there’s quite bit of erosion out on the farm…maybe a waterway would suffice that. We’ll help with that as well as take a look at what they’re willing to install in that area. If it meets the criteria of the continuous sign up, that can be automatically enrolled. It does not have to compete like it does during a general. So continuous sign up is where there’s immediate needs on an isolated area with kind of an isolated practice, general is where we take a look at larger areas in larger sizes and they have to compete nationwide.”
Lago encourages producers interested in signing up or those wanting more information on the programs to contact their local Farm Service Agency office.
