<b>By JANE HOUIN<br>
Ohio Correspondent</b> </p><p>

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In January, the USDA announced it had enrolled the 1-millionth acre in its nationwide Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The acre is in Minnesota; the first CREP acre was enrolled in Maryland in 1997.<br>
The announcement was made during a ceremony at USDA headquarters, where Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Teresa Lasseter and other USDA officials, Rep. Tim Holden (D-Penn.), Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), landowners of the first and millionth CREP acres, CREP partners and others gathered to celebrate the achievement. Holden is chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research. Walz represents the district where the 1-millionth CREP acre was enrolled.<br>
“Enrolling the 1-millionth acre is an important milestone in the history of USDA’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program,” said Chuck Conner, then-acting secretary of agriculture. “By collaborating with agricultural producers, state agencies and many other partners through this highly effective program, USDA is improving water quality, wildlife habitat, soil productivity and air quality throughout the country today and for the next generation.”
Last fall, when Steve and Margaret Lange enrolled 60 acres in CREP at the Pipestone County FSA Service Center in Pipestone, Minn., USDA’s CREP surpassed the 1 million-acre mark. The 60 acres were part of a 120,000-acre CREP project in parts of northwestern, southeastern and southwestern Minnesota.<br>
The Langes established riparian buffers and filter strips to protect Pipestone Creek, which winds through the couple’s property, by reducing sediment and erosion from the current. In addition, the conservation practices reduce flooding impacts, enhance wildlife and improve overall water quality.<br>
The Langes are part of efforts in Minnesota to protect water quality in the Missouri River watershed and restore wildlife habitat.
Anna Bowers, who signed the first CREP agreement with USDA on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, also participated in this ceremony. Her CREP addresses nutrient loading in the bay through the use of buffers and wetland restoration. Bowers planted 16.7 acres of trees on her family farm, which reduced the amount of both sediment and nutrients that entered the bay.<br>
CREP is a community-based, results-oriented effort that focuses on local participation and leadership. A component of USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), CREP is a voluntary land retirement program intended to help agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat and safeguard ground and surface water.<br>
Partnering with tribal, state and federal governments and, in some cases, private groups, USDA establishes contracts with agricultural producers to retire highly erodible and other sensitive cropland and pastureland. During the 10- to 15-year contract period, participants convert enrolled land to grass, trees, wetlands, wildlife cover and other conservation uses.<br>
CREP supports increased conservation practices such as filter strips and forested buffers, which protect streams, lakes and rivers from sedimentation and agricultural runoff.<br>
Through CREP, USDA partners with states, agricultural producers, non-government organizations and others to protect Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave, the Illinois and Minnesota Rivers and numerous other ecologically sensitive areas.<br>
Currently, there are three major CREP programs underway in Ohio. The Lake Erie CREP is working in partnership with the state to help farmers protect land and to improve the water quality of Lake Erie and 5,000 miles of Ohio streams.<br>
Additionally, $13.2 million has been made available through the Upper Big Walnut Creek CREP to safeguard the Hoover Reservoir, the primary drinking water source for Columbus. Another $207 million has been made available through the Scioto River Watershed CREP, which is also a primary drinking water source for Columbus.<br>
CREP maintains clear goals and requires annual monitoring, enabling participants to measure progress and ensure success. By combining USDA’s CRP resources with state, tribal and private programs, CREP provides farmers and ranchers with a financial package for conserving and enhancing natural resources.<br>
Under the CRP, farmers and ranchers enroll eligible land in 10- to 15-year contracts with USDA. Participants plant cover such as grasses and trees in crop fields and along streams. These plantings help prevent soil and nutrients from running into regional waterways and affecting water quality. The long-term vegetative cover also improves wildlife habitat and soil quality.<br>
Additional state updates on CREP programs can be found online at www.fsa.usda.gov/fsa