Indiana Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program accepting applications from landowners

INDIANAPOLIS (May 22, 2025) -   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP through June 6, 2025.  As part of this in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Division of Soil Conservation, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) will be open to landowners.

"The Indiana Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program represents a shared commitment between federal and state partners to safeguard our waterways and strengthen wildlife habitats," said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. "By reducing erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient runoff, we are not only improving water quality but also creating lasting environmental benefits for future generations." 

The Indiana Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary federal and state natural resource conservation program that aims to improve water quality and address wildlife issues by reducing erosion, sedimentation and nutrients, and enhancing wildlife habitats. This program is designed to help alleviate some of the concerns of high nonpoint source sediment, nutrient, pesticide, and herbicide losses from agricultural lands by restoring grass and riparian buffers and wetlands to improve water quality, as well as to protect land from frequent flooding and excessive erosion by planting hardwood trees in floodplain areas along rivers and streams.

The Indiana CREP covers the entire state with an acreage enrollment goal of 100,000 acres.

Through CREP, program participants receive financial incentives from the ISDA and the FSA to voluntarily enroll in the program and implement conservation practices on environmentally sensitive land. Eligible practices include:

• Permanent Native Grasses Buffers
• Hardwood Tree Planting Buffers
• Wildlife Habitat Buffers
• Riparian Forest Buffers
• Grassed Filter Strips
• Bottomland Timber Establishment
• Wetland Restorations
• Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife

FSA is accepting Continuous CRP offers, including CREP, on a first-come, first-served basis through June 6.  However, should allotted CRP acreage remain available following the June 6 deadline, FSA will accept offers from interested landowners through July 31, 2025.  Additionally, landowners with acres enrolled in CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, can offer acres for re-enrollment.  A producer can offer to enroll new acres into CRP and also offer to re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2025.

For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s CRP webpage.  To begin application, i nterested producers should visit their local Farm Service Agency office or reach out to a local ISDA Resource Specialist.