CREP Corner

By

Lee Ashford

 

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a government program that was easy to enroll in, involved no red tape, had no strings attached, and was every bit as good as it sounded. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that land! Here in the real world, that program doesn’t exist.

This quarter I want to tell you a little about the process of getting a CREP contract, so you can perhaps understand a bit better why it may seem to take so long. Many of you may have heard that CREP is a good way to get a new fence paid for, or perhaps even heard that fencing is the primary purpose for CREP’s existence. While fencing is often a component of a CREP contract, it is only one of several components. As with all federal programs, CREP comes with a lot of baggage. For some, the end result is well worth the wait. For others, the baggage may seem excessive.

When you apply for CREP, your application is the first of approximately 30 steps, most of which must be completed in sequence to fully comply with policy and law. The steps involve 7 or more federal, state and local agencies. That alone should indicate to most people that the process can be lengthy! Upon receipt of your application, Farm Service Agency must determine that the landowner and the property ownership are eligible and qualified for CREP. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), or some other qualified Technical Service Provider (TSP) then visits the site with the landowner, to determine if the physical property is also eligible and qualified, and to discuss with the landowner what his plans might entail. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is consulted to determine if the waterway itself is eligible, although virtually every waterway in the state is now eligible for the program.

Once the landowner has expressed his general plans and desires to the TSP, an initial proposal is put together, by which the landowner essentially details his application on a map. At this point, Farm Service Agency is supposed to visit the site with the landowner and the TSP, in order to provide an official measurement of the acreage at the landowner’s expense. This paid measurement service is a key step in the process. By this, the map can be revised to accurately portray what the landowner wants to do. Likewise, this measurement service enables the landowner to accurately determine where his fence will be placed so there are no surprises later on. If the fence’s final location is not precisely in agreement with FSA’s map, the landowner is considered to be out of compliance with his contract, and that can have major financial impacts on a poor, struggling farmer. In addition, the paid measurement service is often the only time all three key players will actually visit the site at the same time, and is critical to ensure that everybody is “on the same page” with respect to the ultimate configuration of the contracted acreage.

After an accurate map is agreed upon by all, the FSA state office makes a request to NRCS for a cultural resources survey, and to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for an endangered species review. If the project potentially could have negative impacts on an endangered species, or if significant cultural resources are found on the site, project modifications will likely be necessary. In some cases the landowner may decide to withdraw the application at this stage, but that will not alleviate the landowner’s legal obligation to comply with existing laws pertaining to endangered species and/or cultural resources!

Oregon Department of Forestry gets involved in developing a vegetation planting plan, along with herbicide recommendations if any. Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board signs on as a fiscal partner, to help pay a significant portion of the project costs. Other partners may be brought into the mix if necessary, including non-profit organizations which may assist with planning, construction, or payments.

Depending on the complexity of the property, the project, and the ownership, some applications may take considerably longer than a year to complete. In a best case scenario, it can take many months to complete an application. Through it all, the landowner ultimately bears the responsibility for whatever is put into his contract.

If, after reading all this, you think you might still be interested in CREP, give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to work with you through the process! The process can be long and frustrating at times, but for many the ultimate result is well worth the trip.