The Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) is a voluntary program that focuses on using grasses and trees to protect soil, improve air and water quality, and enhances fish and wildlife habitat through the use of buffers, filter strips, and windbreaks.
The program is managed on the federal level by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Locally, the Clay Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) implement the program.
Conservation buffers are a simple way for you and many other farmers and landowners to stay profitable while protecting your land. USDA supports the use of buffers on cropland, pasture and rangeland through several conservation programs, including the voluntary Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP).
The program allows you to enroll eligible land for 10 or 15 year contracts in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) at any time without having to submit a competitive offer. You will receive an annual payment each year, plus implementation costs for each practice.
Also, you don't have to make an "all-or-nothing" choice for enrollment into the program. Borders or strips of eligible land practices can be implemented on your land, while leaving the remaining land for crop production.
In addition to providing economic benefits, buffers can help you achieve your conservation objectives as well.
Buffers can help you:
Beautify the landscape
Enhance fish and wildlife habitat
Improve air quality and flood control
Improve water quality by removing sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants from runoff