CRP options available to Iowa landowners

Landowners who are considering setting aside some of their more highly erodible land have several options to consider through the USDA ‘s Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. CCRP allows landowners to set aside some of their less productive land and plant it to a variety of grassland and wildflower types to reduce soil erosion, provide water quality benefits and to enhance wildlife habitat.

Through the continuous sign-up, landowners can choose several different options with a 10- or 15-year contract available. The annual rental rates for these practices are based on the three most common soil types in the contract area.

Some of these practices include the Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI) which puts highly erodible land with an Erodibility Index of 20 or greater into the program. This area is typically seeded to warm native season grasses or cool season grassland types.

One of the more popular options is the CP 38 E Pheasant Recovery program which has a minimum of 20 acres and a maximum of 160 acres. This program requires an annual food plot along with 25 percent winter cover and the rest of the acres to be planted to native nesting cover with flowering plants to attract insects for ground nesting pheasants in the spring.

Another option is the CP 38E Quail Habitat. Offers for quail habitat must be greater than five acres and 25 percent of the offer must be seeded to early successional habitat such as grain sorghum, oats or rye to name a few in years one, four and seven in a 10-year contract. The remaining acres can be seeded to native nesting cover. Landowners also have the option to plant shrubs or conduct edge feathering to create quail covey headquarters.

One other choice is for the CP 38 E Gaining Ground option where landowners whose land falls into their county priority area are eligible to sign their land and they must plant at least two different cover types of native grass with one being a short grass option and another being a tall grass option. This difference in cover type provides a variety of habitat for ground nesting birds as well as a declining population of songbirds such as bobolinks and the Henslow Sparrow.

Landowners who convert cropland to one of these options may receive a Signing Incentive Payment (SIP) along with there annual rental payment. USDA provides up to 90 percent cost share for implementing some of these practices. All these options require the landowner to perform mid contract management at least one time during the contract to improve the grassland stand and provide better wildlife habitat.

If you have any questions, contact your local FSA county office or contact Jason Gritsch, private lands wildlife technician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, at (641) 751-1432.