Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MN CREP)

What is MN CREP?

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a combination of the state’s Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program and the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The main goal of CREP is to take marginal cropland adjacent to the Minnesota River and its tributaries as well as drained wetland areas out of production to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and increase wildlife habitat. These are accomplished through permanent protection by establishing conservation practices via payments to farmers and agricultural landowners.


How does it work?

  • Landowners enroll in the federally-funded Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 14 to 15 years.
  • CRP is administered by the USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA).
  • The same land is also enrolled into a state-funded perpetual conservation easement through the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve program administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR).
  • The land remains in private ownership.
  • Landowner retains responsibility for maintenance and paying applicable real estate taxes and assessments.

Brown County is home to 160 CREP easement totaling 7,034.15 acres.

 

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