Education Programs

FEDERAL COST SHARE PROGRAMS

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

STATE COST SHARE PROGRAMS

Conservation Practices Program (CPP)

Tax Incentive Filter Strip Program

Illinois Water Well Abandonment Practice (IWWAP)

LOCAL COST SHARE PROGRAMS

OTHER PROGRAMS

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
 

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Landowners with more than 5 acres of unimproved land such as woodlands, prairie, wetlands or other undeveloped land (excluding farmland) can take advantage of property tax savings by simply developing and implementing a conservation plan designed to protect natural resources.  The Conservation Stewardship (CSP) provides this tax saving incentive for landowners who are willing to commit to maintaining and managing their unimproved land.

Landowners who wish to receive the special valuation are required to prepare and implement a conservation plan. The Winnebago County Soil and Water Conservation District can assist landowners in writing a plan that will contain all the necessary components for approval by the IDNR.  The approved plan then qualifies landowners for the special valuation and the adjustment in the valuation will be made.
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Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The Conservation Reserve Program reduces soil erosion, protects the Nation's ability to produce food and fiber, reduces sedimentation in streams and lakes, improves water quality, establishes wildlife habitat, and enhances forest and wetland resources.  It encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife planting, trees, filterstrips, or riparian buffers.  Farmers receive an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract.  Cost sharing is provided to establish the vegetative cover practices.  (top of page)

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources.  CSP identifies and rewards those farmers and ranchers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations.

In addition, CSP crates powerful incentives for other producers to meet those same standards of conservation performances.  In short, CSP rewards the best and motivates the rest.  Through theses rewards and incentives, CSP builds a foundation of natural resource conservation that will provide benefits to the public for generations to come.

Benefits

Through CSP, the conservation benefits gained will help farms and ranches be more economically and environmentally sustainable and will increase the natural resource benefits for all Americans.

How CSP Works

1. The CSP sign-up will be offered in selected priority watersheds across the nation.

2. Producers complete a self-assessment to determine eligibility.
3. Eligible producers within these watersheds submit an application.

4. Based on the application, description of conservation activities, and follow-up interview, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will determine which program tier and enrollment category are available for the applicant.

NRCS will provide the necessary materials for producers to complete the benchmark inventory.

Basic Eligibility

Both the producer and the producer's operation must first meet these basic eligibility criteria:

• The land must be privately owned or tribal land with the majority of the land located within a selected priority watershed.

• The applicant must be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, have an active interest in the agricultural operation, and show control of the land for the life of the contract.

• The applicant must share in the risk of producing any crop or livestock and be entitled to share in the crop or livestock marketed from the operation.

All applicants must meet the following minimum tier eligibility and contract requirements, plus any additional requirements in the sign-up announcements.

• For Tier I, the producer must have addressed water quality and soil quality to meet the minimum treatment requirements on part of the agricultural operation prior to acceptance into CSP.

• For Tier II, the producer must have addressed water quality and quality to meet the minimum treatment requirements on the entire agricultural operation prior to acceptance and agree to address one additional resource by the end of the contract period.

• For Tier III, the producer must have addressed all resource concerns to resource management system level that meets the Field Office Technical Guide standards on the entire agricultural operation before acceptance into the program and agree to additional enhancement activities outlined in the sign-up announcement.

Soil quality practices might include crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage, prescribed grazing, and adequate wind barriers.

Water quality practices might include filter strips, grassed waterways, managed access to streams, nutrient and pest management, prescribed grazing, and irrigation water management.

Contract Payments

CSP contract payments include one or more of the following:

• An annual stewardship component for the existing base level conservation treatment.

• An annual existing practice component for maintaining existing conservation practices.

• A one-time new practice component for additional needed practices.

• An enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort additional conservation practices or activities that provide increased resource benefits beyond the prescribed level.  The five enhancement activities are:  improving a significant resource concern; improving priority local resource condition as determined by NRCS; participating in on-farm conservation research, demonstration, or pilot project; cooperating with other producers to implement watershed or regional resource conservation plans; and conducting assessment and evaluation activities.

Total payments are determined by the tier of participation:

• For Tier I, contracts are for 5 years; maximum payment is $20,000 annually.

• For Tier II, contracts are for 5-10 years; maximum payment is $20,000 annually.

• For Tier III, contracts are for 5-10 years; maximum payment is $45,000 annually.

If you need more information about CSP, contact your local Conservation District.  Additional information is available on the internet at:

Natural Resource Conservation Service - CSP

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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides technical, educational, and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.  The program provides assistance to farmers and ranchers in complying with Federal, State, and tribal environmental laws, and encourages environmental enhancement.  The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation.  The purposes of the program are achieved through the implementation of a conservation plan which includes structural, vegetative, and the land management practices on eligible land.  Five to ten year contracts are made with eligible producers.  Cost-share payments may be made to implement one or more eligible structural or vegetative practices, such as animal waste management facilities, terraces, filter strips, tree planting, and permanent wildlife habitat.  Incentive payments can be made to implement one or more land management practices, such as nutrient management, pest management, and grazing land management.

Fifty percent of the funding available for the program will be targeted at natural resource concerns relating to livestock production.  The program is carried-out primarily in priority areas that may be watersheds, regions, or multi-state areas, and for significant statewide natural resource concerns that are outside of geographic priority areas.  (top of page)

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to restore wetlands. Participating landowners can establish conservation easements of either permanent or 30-year duration, or can enter into restoration cost-share agreements where no easement is involved. In exchange for establishing a permanent easement, the landowner receives payment up to the agricultural value of the land and 100 percent of the restoration costs for restoring the wetlands. The 30-year easement payment is 75 percent of what would be provided for a permanent easement on the same site and 75 percent of the restoration cost. The voluntary agreements are for a minimum 10-year duration and provide for 75 percent of the cost of restoring the involved wetlands. Easements and restoration cost-share agreements establish wetland protection and restoration as the primary land use for the duration of the easement or agreement. In all instances, landowners continue to control access to their land.  (top of page)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and wildlife on private lands. Participants agree to implement a wildlife habitat development plan and USDA agrees to provide cost-share assistance for the initial implementation of wildlife habitat development practices. USDA and program participants enter into a cost-share agreement for wildlife habitat development. This agreement generally lasts a minimum of 10 years from the date that the contract is signed.   (top of page)

Conservation Practices Program (CPP)

Each fiscal year the SWCD has cost-share funds available for various conservation practices.  Practices included in the program are Filter Strips, Field Border Strips, Grassed Waterways, Critical Area Plantings, No-Till, Terraces, and Grade Stabilization Structures.

Contract sign-up is typically in July at the beginning of the SWCD fiscal year although notification of your interest in the program can be discussed at any time of year.  The SWCD board of directors will prioritize the application received based on tons of soil saved, acres benefited, cost per acre of practice, and cost per tone of soil saved.  Practices must be installed in the Fall or Spring of that Fiscal year.

To be eligible, landowners need to have a conservation plan approved by the SWCD.  To receive cost share, the land upon which the land user intends to install the practice must be experiencing sheet and rill erosion exceeding T (tolerable level) or ephemeral/gully erosion.

CPP funds are available through the Conservation 2000 legislation to help landowners achieve the T by 2000 goals set by the state of Illinois.  Achieving tolerable soil loss levels on cropland will assure productive agricultural lands for the future as well as help improve water quality.  (top of page)

Tax Incentive Filter Strip Program

As an incentive for installing protective vegetative filter strips on land adjacent to surface or ground water sources, landowners may receive a reduced property tax assessment of 1/6th of its value as cropland. Landowners can expect to save about $1 to $25 per acres in taxes depending on soils and local tax rates. Vegetative filter strip design and certification assistance is available from the Soil and Water Conservation District office.   (top of page)

Illinois Water Well Abandonment Practice (IWWAP)

The purpose of the Illinois Water Well abandonment Practice is to provide technical and financial assistance to owners of improperly abandoned wells who wish to seal those wells to protect groundwater from potential contamination.  This goal is consistent with the five-year goal of the Illinois Water Well Sealing Coalition to double the current rate at what abandoned water wells are being sealed within the date, particularly in rural areas.

Specific objectives for the practices are:

• Establish cooperative relationships among participating SWCD's, local health departments and other agencies that provide technical and/or financial assistance for proper well abandonment;

• Ensure that state and local standards for well abandonment are followed;

• Establish priorities for cost-share assistance to target those wells that pose the greatest risk to groundwater resources;

• Demonstrate the benefits of properly abandoning wells;

• Seek additional state funding and encourage development of local funding sources to supplement the IWWAP program; and

• Encourage at lease one well-abandonment demonstration in each participating SWCD. (top of page)