Conservation Reservation Program

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Conservation Reservation Program

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Solicitation of proposals for the Conservation Reserve

Enhancement Program.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is publishing this

notice to invite State governments to propose Conservation Reserve

Enhancement Program (CREP) projects under the general Conservation

Reserve Program, which is governed by regulations under 7 CFR Part

1410. CREP is an opportunity for the joining of resources of the

Federal and State governments to address critical environmental issues

such as soil erosion, water quality degradation and wildlife habitat

loss associated with agricultural activities. This action is also part

of the National Performance Review Initiative to deliver better service

and foster partnership and community solutions.

ADDRESSES: Submission of CREP proposals by a State should be addressed

to the Secretary of Agriculture, Attention: Deputy Administrator for

Farm Programs, Farm Service Agency, STOP 0510, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-0510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caroline Roe, Environmental Program

Specialist, Environmental Activities Branch, Farm Service Agency, Room

4715 South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20250-0510, telephone (202) 720-6221, email at

[email protected] or contact the Conservation Program

Specialist in the State Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is

authorized by Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended.

The purpose of the CRP is to assist farmers and ranchers in conserving

soil, water, and wildlife resources by converting highly erodible and

other environmentally sensitive acreage normally devoted to the

production of agricultural commodities and marginal pastureland to a

long-term resource-conserving cover. CRP participants enroll in

contracts for periods of 10- to 15-years in exchange for annual rental

payments and cost-share assistance for installing those long-term

resource-conserving practices. Up to 36.4 million acres are authorized

to be enrolled in the CRP at any one time.

CCC enrolls land through periodic general signups in which CCC

entertains offers from applicants seeking enrollment in the program.

CCC evaluates the costs and benefits associated with each offer, its

program goals, and any other related issues and accepts only those

offers that provide the most cost-effective environmental benefits.

CCC also uses a continuous signup for certain highly valued

environmental practices such as filter strips, riparian buffers, and

grass waterways. Because of the significant environmental benefits to

be obtained from the enrollment of these areas, CCC permits the

enrollment of these acreages at any time at certain prescribed rental

rates.

The ``Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program'' (CREP) is the name

given to special joint undertakings between States and the Federal

government using CRP contracts and payments to encourage enrollments

and practices that may address particularly pressing environmental

needs. CRP rules in 7 CFR Part 1410.50(b) provide explicitly for such

agreements to further ``specific conservation and environmental

objectives of that State and the nation.'' Some States have already

submitted CREP proposals and CCC hereby further invites other

interested States to do the same.

CREP creates an opportunity where the resources of a State

government and CRP can be targeted in a coordinated manner to cost-

effectively address specific conservation and environmental objectives

of that State and the nation in order to improve water quality, erosion

control, and wildlife habitat, including endangered species habitat, in

specific geographic areas that have been adversely impacted by

agricultural activities.

In order for a State's proposal to be considered for CREP, it

should be directly related to mitigation of adverse agriculture-related

environmental impacts and should document why program objectives cannot

be met through other existing programs, in particular the general or

continuous sign-ups under the CRP or other Department of Agriculture

conservation programs.

Any proposed obligations beyond the term of any CRP contract, such

as through long term agreements and/or permanent easements, would be

between State government and the participant.

CCC encourages State governments to work closely with all

interested groups within the State when developing options for

obligations beyond the term of the CRP contract. It is CCC's experience

that successful CREP agreements are the result of State governments, in

preparing CREP proposals, working closely with all interested local

parties including, but not limited to, farm, commodity, conservation,

environmental, and landowner groups. Working with all interested local

parties ensures the broad range of support needed for a successful

CREP.

To ensure proper Federal/State cooperation, each proposal should

specify the level of non-federal funding needed to fulfill objectives

of the proposal. Normally, USDA expects that non-federal funding would

be equal to at least 20 percent of the overall program-related costs of

the CREP project. Examples of non-federal funding include, but are not

limited to: funding of contract extensions or easements, cost-share

assistance for conservation practices, and program monitoring costs.

The CREP is anticipated to be initially limited to a maximum of 100,000

acres for each State, with possible expansion after the initial 100,000

acres are enrolled.

Submissions by a State should provide for a complete understanding

of the proposal. To ensure consistency, each proposal should include:

(1) an abstract; (2) a discussion of existing conditions; (3) an

analysis of

[[Page 28966]]

agriculture-related adverse impacts; (4) project objectives; (5)

project description; (6) proposals for the monitoring program; (7) a

discussion of public support and ongoing public information that will

accompany the project; (8) an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the

project; and (9) any additional documentation to ensure compliance with

any other laws, including environmental laws. A description of each of

these criteria follows.

Abstract

A single page summary of the project should be provided to include:

project name; description of the project area; summary of existing

conditions and agricultural impacts to be addressed; brief description

of the project; total area of the project (including a list of the

counties in which the project is located); and estimated cost of the

project.

Existing Conditions

A synopsis of relevant existing conditions should be provided to

include: a brief description of the importance to the community of the

resource to be protected; a detailed map outlining the geographic area

of the project; a description of the various human activities and land

uses within the project boundary (including a summary of such

information within each watershed); a summary of agricultural

activities within the project boundary/watershed; and a brief

description of relevant environmental factors (precipitation, soils,

geology, vegetation patterns, wildlife, Federally listed endangered and

threatened species, air quality, and water resources).

Analysis of Agriculture-Related Environmental Impacts

An analysis of agriculture-related environmental impacts to be

addressed by the project should be provided to include: magnitude of

agricultural impacts on the environment; past and projected trends in

agricultural impacts, including any scientific data that demonstrates

such trends; nature of any public health-related agricultural impacts;

and past and ongoing efforts to address agricultural impacts through

other Federal and State conservation programs, such as the CRP.

Project Objectives

A list of project objectives should be provided to include specific

and measurable objectives in addition to any general objectives.

Project Description

The description of the project should include the following:

summary of the project; conservation practices to be adopted; number of

acres proposed to be included in the project; length of time for

project implementation; analysis of both Federal and non-Federal costs

(including a justification for special incentive payments to be made);

and an analysis of the likelihood that project objectives will be

achieved. The project description should also address such process and

interagency coordination questions as: how applicant eligibility

determinations will be made; which agency will provide technical

assistance; how the application process will be coordinated among

agencies; and how contract oversight will be conducted.

Monitoring Program

A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan should be provided

to include: specific targets to be met in the accomplishment of project

objectives; a description of the methods for collecting data to measure

accomplishment of specific targets; the process for refinement of the

project, if monitoring indicates that project objectives are not being

met; and the identification of funding for the monitoring program. The

proposal should identify the nature and funding sources for the

preparation of annual reports to record and summarize the conclusions

developed in the monitoring program.

Education, Outreach, and Public Support

A program for public participation should be presented that

indicates: the level of public support for the proposal, among

producers, conservation groups and other interested organizations, at

the time the proposal is submitted; an analysis of the number of

producers expected to enroll in the program; and the measures that will

be taken for continued public involvement and education over the

duration of the project.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Proposals should include a cost-effectiveness analysis which

compares the cost and likelihood of accomplishing project goals under

the CREP proposal versus other State and Federal programs, such as the

general and continuous signups under CRP.

Compliance With Other Laws

The application should include adequate information and

documentation to demonstrate compliance with any applicable laws.

Each proposal should be developed in conjunction with the State FSA

office and the USDA-established ``State Technical Committee.''

Following submittal to the Secretary of Agriculture, each proposal will

be reviewed by an interagency team for consistency with overall program

goals, magnitude of environmental benefits, likelihood that project

benefits will be achieved and cost-effectiveness. The team is expected

to make a recommendation for action to the Deputy Administrator within

60 days of receipt of a completed proposal. Further negotiation and

discussion will follow as needed to implement the joint effort of the

CCC and the State. To effectuate the joint agreement, a draft

Memorandum of Agreement should be developed by the State based on

discussions regarding the proposal. No agreement will be final until

signed by authorized representatives of CCC and the State.

Signed at Washington, DC, on May 21, 1998.

Keith Kelly,

Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation

[FR Doc. 98-13980 Filed 5-21-98; 2:10 pm]

BILLING CODE 3410-05-P