Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) — Indiana

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a partnership between the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) that addresses water quality and wildlife issues by reducing sediment and nutrient runoff in watersheds and enhancing wildlife habitat for state- and federally-listed threatened and endangered species. CREP helps alleviate high nonpoint-source sediment, nutrient, pesticide, and herbicide losses from agricultural lands by restoring buffers and wetlands. Participants receive financial incentives to voluntarily enroll environmentally sensitive agricultural land and frequently flooded croplands under contracts of 14 to 15 years. First announced in 2005, the program was expanded in October 2024 and is now available in every county and watershed in the state, with a targeted enrollment of 100,000 acres.

Indiana landowners and farmers with environmentally sensitive agricultural land or frequently flooded croplands. Enrollment is voluntary under 14-to-15-year contracts; the program is available in every Indiana county and watershed.

This program pays per-acre rates and percentage incentives, not a fixed award, so there is no per-recipient dollar ceiling. All figures below are verbatim from ISDA's Approved Practices and Incentives page.

Federal incentives.

• Cost share: "Based on a current FSA cost-share plan of 50% of eligible cost (not-to-exceed) as determined by FSA for eligible reimbursable practice establishment costs."

• Signing Incentive Payment (SIP): "A one-time incentive payment equal to 32.5% of the 1st full year Annual Rental Payment (12-months) for newly enrolled CP21, CP22, CP23, CP23A, CP31 and CP9."

• Practice Incentive Payment (PIP): "A one-time incentive payment equal to 50% of the eligible installation costs for CP21, CP22, CP23, CP23A, CP31, and CP9."

• Annual Rental Payment: "An annual payment for the life of the contract," summing (a) a base soil rental rate "determined by calculating the normal CRP weighted average soil rental rate for the three predominant soil types using the current posted applicable local soil rental rates for cropland offers," (b) an "incentive payment of 40% of the base rental rate without regard to other incentive payments for all practices offered and eligible for CREP," and (c) "a maintenance fee equal to the terms of FSA national CRP directives, if applicable."

State of Indiana one-time incentive payments.

• "$100/acre for CP2, CP4D, and CP21"

• "$400/acre for CP3A, CP22, and CP31"

• "$950/acre for newly enrolled CP23, CP23A, and CP9"

• "$400/acre for re-enrolled CP23, CP23A, and CP9"

Contract length. "Program participants receive financial incentives to voluntarily enroll in the program in contracts of 14 to 15 years."

Practice and width conditions. Only nine CRP practices are approved (CP2, CP3A, CP4D, CP21, CP22, CP31, CP23, CP23A, CP9). CP2, CP3A, CP4D, CP21 and CP22 "must be installed on former cropland adjacent to an eligible stream, river or water body"; buffer widths run from a 35-foot minimum average (CP21, CP3A, CP4D, CP22) or 50 feet (CP2) up to 120–180 feet, "up to 300 feet in alluvial soils." CP23 and CP31 "are required to be located in the 100-yr floodplain."

Program scale. Available in every Indiana county and watershed since October 2024, with a targeted enrollment of 100,000 acres.

Verified 2026-09-04.

Contact the CREP Program Manager or a local Soil and Water Conservation District / USDA FSA office to review eligibility requirements and enroll.