Eastern Kentucky Landscape Conservation Reserve Program for Eastern Kentucky Landowners

The Conservation Reserve Program for Eastern Kentucky Landowners

The Conservation Reserve Program is essentially a program in which landowners lease part of their land to the Farm Service Agency (part of the USDA) to move it out of agricultural production to help support conservation goals like improving soil health, forests, and wildlife habitats. Once enrolled in the CRP, other funds become available, although not all of these funding programs are appropriate for Jackson or Estill County. We have identified two such programs that CRP participants in Eastern Kentucky might be interested in.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/indexCRP is a land conservation program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are from 10 to 15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.

Once enrolled in the CRP, landowners can subsequently enroll in other programs to provide additional financial support for land management. Two such programs of note for eastern Kentucky landowners are the following two programs:

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/safe/indexThe State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides farmers and landowners with several opportunities like this to achieve many conservation goals. Through SAFE, landowners establish wetlands, grasses, and trees. These practices are designed to enhance important wildlife populations by creating critical habitat and food sources. They also protect soil and water health by working as a barrier to sediment and nutrient run-off before they reach waterways.
Forest Management Incentive (FMI) https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/forest-management-incentive-fmi/indexThe Forest Management Incentive, available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), can help participants with forest management practices, such as brush management and prescribed burning. FMI is available to participants with active CRP contracts with forest cover that are not within two years of expiring. The incentive is a payment to eligible CRP participants who properly completed authorized forest management practice activities to improve the condition of resources, promote forest management and enhance wildlife habitat.

Jarrod

An Appalachian philosopher, educator, and entrepreneur from Eastern Kentucky, Jarrod is an avid outdoorsman who grew up in the Daniel Boone National Forest. His research currently focuses on environmental philosophy across world traditions.

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