State Programs
Conservation Practices Program (CPP)
Each fiscal year the SWCD has cost-share funds available for various conservation practices. Practices included in the program are Filter Strips, Field Border Strips, Grassed Waterways, Critical Area Plantings, No-Till, Terraces, and Grade Stabilization Structures.
Contract sign-up is typically in July at the beginning of the SWCD fiscal year, although notification of your interest in the program can be discussed at any time of year. The SWCD board of directors will prioritize the applications received based on tons of soil saved, acres benefited, cost per acre of practice, and cost per ton of soil saved. Practices must be installed in the Fall or Spring of that Fiscal year.
To be eligible, landowners need to have a conservation plan approved by the SWCD. To receive cost share, the land upon which the landuser intends to install the practice must be experiencing sheet and rill erosion exceeding T (tolerable levels) or ephemeral/gully erosion.
CPP funds are available through the Conservation 2000 legislation to help landowners achieve the T by 2000 goals set by the state of Illinois. Achieving tolerable soil loss levels on cropland will assure productive agricultural lands for the future as well as help improve water quality.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
In addtion to the Federal CREP Program the State of Illinois is offering an extension to landowners who wish to extend their CREP contracts beyond the 15 year federal contract. The landowners will be offered additional incentives by the State Government in the form of an additional 15 year, 30 year or permanent easement on the property.
Those opting for a permanent easement will receive reimbursement of the remaining 50% of costs to establish vegetative practices and a lump sum payment equal to the CRP maximum annual payment times 15 times 30% per acre. With a permanent easement, landowners can also pull in additional acres that are not farmland into their CREP permanent easement and receive additional money in their lump sum payment. The additional acres that are included will not receive any cost share for conservation practices because the land is to be kept as it is however, the timberland can still be hunted and used for other recreational activities.
Landowners choosing 15 or 35 year easements will receive reimbursement of 40% of the remaining costs to establish practices and 50% or 75% respectively of the lump sum payment for the permanent easement.
The landowners must agree to keep the conservation practices in place for the duration of the easement. There will be no development or farming allowed on the property enrolled in either the State or Federal CREP program. The easement does not allow for the right of public access to the property and the landowner retains rights to use the property for undeveloped recreational uses, including hunting and fishing.
Commonly asked questions about the CREP Program
Tax Incentive Filter Strip Program
As an incentive for installing protective vegetative filter strips on land adjacent to surface or ground water sources, landowners may receive a reduced property tax assessment of 1/6th of its value as cropland. Landowners can expect to save about $1 to $25 per acres in taxes depending on soils and local tax rates. Vegetative filter strip design and certification assistance is available from the Soil and Water Conservation District office.
