Minnesota Water Quality and Habitat Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MN CREP) Overview February 14, 2017 1
MN Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MN CREP) General Overview Practices, Outcomes, Payments Technical Assistance Timelines and Processes MN CREP Input Session 2
MN CREP General Overview Five-year MN CREP Enrollment Period Partner Agencies: BWSR DNR MDA MDH MPCA USDA-FSA USDA-NRCS SWCD s and other partners will implement locally 3
MN CREP General Overview Prioritized and targeted for water quality and habitat Science Based Key Focuses Riparian Areas Marginal cropland Restorable wetlands Wellhead Protection Areas 4
MN CREP General Overview CRP + RIM 14 or 15 year CRP contract Permanent RIM conservation easement Only offers eligible for CRP will be forwarded for CREP consideration utilizing RIM 5
MN CREP General Overview CRP + RIM (cont.) Cropland Only little to no money for noncropland All offers must also meet RIM Eligibility criteria including Ownership MDA Certification Cropping History 6
MN CREP General Overview Approximately a $500 million effort $350M USDA $150M State At least a 2:1 USDA:State leverage 60,000 acres 7
MN CREP General Overview State Contribution will be from Legacy Amendment Clean Water Fund Outdoor Heritage Fund Capital Investment (Bonding) Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund 8
MN CREP General Overview State Contribution Summary Secured - $55M Recommended for ML17 $85.2M OHF - $15.7M CWF - $33.5M ENTRF - $6M Bonding - $30M 9
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Four Practices and Initial Acreage Allocations CP-2 Wellhead Protection (3,000 acres) CP-21 Filter Strips (30,000 acres) CP-23 Wetland Restoration - Floodplain (9,000 acres) CP23a Wetland Restoration Non-Floodplain (18,000 acres) 10
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Cropland ONLY for both CRP and RIM Non-Cropland may be considered on a very limited basis RIM 100% No Leverage 8 acre offer minimum Waivers may be granted 11
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-2 Wellhead Protection Focused on Very High and/or High vulnerable areas in Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA) Environmental Benefits Score Sheet will be used 12
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-2 Wellhead Protection Primarily plant native vegetation with little to no other practices installed Local organizations are being encouraged to assist 13
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-21 Filter Strip Utilize NRCS 393 Filter Strip standard and CCRP suitability Sediment or Sediment/Soluble will be treated as the site dictates Primarily plant native vegetation with little to no other practices installed 14
CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-21 Filter Strip (cont.) Environmental Benefits Score Sheet will be used with criteria that will be discussed later Most information will have already been collected as part of the CCRP process 15
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-21 Filter Strip (cont.) Implications of the Riparian Protection Law (103F.48) Primary focus of the MN CREP for the next twenty one months (until the implementation date of November 1, 2018) 16
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-23 Wetlands Restoration 100 year Floodplain Up to 3:1 ratio of upland to floodplain Mostly vegetation establishment with only minor other practices to be installed Environmental Benefits Score Sheet will be used Most information will have already been collected as part of the CCRP process 17
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-23a Wetland Restoration Non - 100 year Floodplain Up to 4:1 ratio of upland to wetland Focus is on restoring hydrology of the site along with associated upland buffer 18
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments CP-23a Wetland Restoration Non- 100 year Floodplain (cont.) Utilize RIM Wetlands concepts Environmental Benefits Score Sheet will be used that will closely resemble past RIM Wetlands Most information will have already been collected as part of the CCRP process Wildlife Benefits will include points for the entire CREP area 19
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Eight Acre Minimum Size of an offer Average of CP-21 in MN per FSA is 8.3 acres Minimize administrative costs to process small easements Promote wider and longer buffers to maximize environmental benefits 20
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Eight Acre Minimum Size of an offer (cont.) Waivers for: Beginning, Limited Resource or Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Certain Environmentally Sensitive Lands Examples include location, building onto an existing site, required to complete a larger project and treating sediment AND soluble concerns 21
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Outcomes Prioritized and targeted through Environmental Benefits Score Sheet/Criteria Land use change from cropland to native vegetation load reductions calculated Progress to meet local plans and goals Progress to meet state plans and goals 22
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Outcomes (cont.) Documenting off-site outcomes will be considered Reported to USDA FSA, State funders and others including the citizens of the state 23
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Payments to the landowner FSA can pay CRP rental payments to whomever it is agreed upon, landowner or operator BWSR can only pay the landowner(s) for the RIM permanent easement payment 24
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Payments to the landowner (cont.) RIM Rate minus total CRP payment = RIM permanent easement payment e.g. - $1,000 RIM rate - $800 CRP payment = $200 RIM payment 25
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Payments to the landowner (cont.) RIM Rate for the Township(s) where the site is located Updated RIM rates will be coming out soon CRP 14 or 15 year rental payment and all applicable Signing Incentive Payments (SIP) RIM permanent easement payment after recording 26
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Payments For Restoration Landowner will meet NRCS and State standards 100% of the costs will be covered through MN CREP for initial restoration (CRP + RIM) CRP Mid-Contract Management will be cost-shared by FSA according to the CRP rules 27
MN CREP Practices, Outcomes and Payments Payments For Restoration (cont.) FSA pays 50% of the CRP docket costs FSA may pay up to a 40% Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) BWSR will pay the remaining costs not covered by FSA 28
MN CREP Technical Assistance The State (non-fsa) will be responsible for the majority of the technical assistance Locally most aspects of landowner outreach, application, planning and implementation BWSR Easement Section will process the RIM easements 29
MN CREP Technical Assistance FSA and NRCS will continue to process, approve and manage CRP contracts and plans NRCS will continue to be supported locally by SWCD s and other partners like is currently occurring with CCRP 30
MN CREP Technical Assistance RIM payments to SWCD s will utilize the Master Joint Powers Agreement process 31
MN CREP Technical Assistance Farm Bill Assistance Partnership (FBAP) Current staffing level will be maintained to assist with CREP and other efforts Additional staffing that will add approximately 25 new MN CREP FBAP staff is planned and $6M of ENTRF funding recommended by LCCMR is being considered in the ML17 Session 32
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Timelines This has been a two year planning effort that culminated in the MN CREP Agreement being signed by the Governor and USDA in mid-january Implementation is now the next focus 33
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Timelines (cont.) Items to be completed in the next month include: Completing an Amendment to the MN FSA 2-CRP Handbook Finalizing the RIM easement application workbook Training for local staff 34
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Timelines (cont.) A continuous MN CREP signup will begin in early spring of 2017 Offers will begin to be accepted within a few months of the start of the sign-up 35
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes FSA/NRCS (with local SWCD assistance) CCRP process will occur first CRP RIM MN CREP If CCRP eligible then to the SWCD for RIM eligibility and scoring/ranking If not eligible for RIM or not high enough score to be funded can still go back and just apply for CCRP 36
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) RIM Eligibility MDA Certification Land Ownership CRP RIM MN CREP Cropping History Note an offer can be CCRP eligible but not RIM eligible due to one of the three requirements above 37
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) RIM Minimum Size of Offer 8 acre CRP RIM MN CREP If not SWCD will work with landowner to determine if a waiver is applicable Eight acre waiver form will be completed and signed by the landowner and the SWCD 38
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) RIM Env. Benefits Score will be completed for each CP in an offer CRP RIM MN CREP If only one CP then that score will be put into a ranking list for possible funding If more than one CP, the CP with the largest acreage s score will be used for the entire offer for ranking 39
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) Application process CRP RIM MN CREP Developed to minimize duplication of work and a burden on the field staff Applications Module in the RIM database utilizing elink access will be used to transmit RIM Workbook to BWSR STAY TUNED future webinars will provide more details 40
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) Batching Periods At set intervals of time applications on the ranking list will be consider for funding and funding decisions will be made Priority on CP21 SWCD s and FSA will be informed of funding decisions SWCD s will submit full application packets to BWSR for those selected for funding (once again process being refined to minimize workload) 41
MN CREP Timelines and Processes Processes (cont.) Batching Periods Offers not funded in one batching period will be carried over to the next FSA specifics related to expiration of CCRP offers and appeals is being considered and final procedures will be communicated in future MN CREP training 42
MN CREP QUESTIONS and ITEMS that need special attention in upcoming webinars and guidance documents?? 43