The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is available for enrollment of up to 65,000 acres in 16 counties in the Ohio River watershed.

CREP was originally announced in April, 2004, as being available to farmers and farm owners in the Ohio River watershed. Since then, over 400 requests have been filed to have land evaluated for CREP.

In some cases the offered acreage has been determined eligible and the next step is for the contract to be executed. In these cases CREP enrollment will begin only after all required documents have been signed.

Producers need to realize they are not enrolled into CREP until they receive a letter providing approval with an effective date. Most of the individuals in these cases need to provide a property deed or signatures are needed from someone who does not reside in this area.

Although most of these people have been notified, if someone is unsure of their CREP status they need to contact the farm service agency office.

CREP seems to be very popular among area farmers and farm owners. For some it seems to fit nicely into the plan of slowing down, for others it is a means of removing livestock from the creek or constructing a waterway.

We are finding that more producers are farming the best ground on a farm and considering CREP on the steep, difficult to farm fields.

CREP gets everyone's attention when they hear of the annual rental rates, which vary by soil type, percent slope and length of slope. Rental rates in this area have ranged from a low of $60 per acre in Butler County to a high of $132 per acre in Beaver County. But these are the extremes.

Normally, in Butler County, the rates average $80 to $100 per acre, and in Beaver County from $105 to $120 per acre.

CREP participants may enroll all or part of a farm for either a 10 or 15 year period.

The annual rental payments are issued in October of each year, which is after the end of the fiscal year for the farm service agency.

The following list provides some of the requirements CREP participants must meet to qualify.

CREP acreage can not be harvested or grazed

Noxious weeds must be controlled through the life of the contract on CREP

Cropland enrolled can only be mowed during August and no more than

of the acreage can be mowed each year

CREP acreage reports must be filed annually

CREP eligibility for cropland means the land produced crops at least four of the years - 1997 through 2002

CREP land must be owned at least 12 months prior to enrollment

Landlord/Tenant provisions apply

Farmers have until Friday to apply for the Crop Disaster Program (CDP).The CDP provides assistance to producers who suffered 2003, 2004 or 2005 crop losses as the result of damaging weather or related conditions. The 2005 crop losses are limited to those losses caused by a hurricane this season in counties that had a presidential disaster declaration.To date 2005 losses are not eligible in our area.Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.