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The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a joint, State-Federal conservation program targeted to address environmental impacts related to agricultural practices. The NJDA and the DEP are project sponsors in cooperation with USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service for this voluntary program that offers financial incentives to encourage farmers to create stream buffers on existing farmland. The Program objectives are: to improve current water quality impairments by reducing agricultural pollutants into impaired streams, to maintain existing water quality by preventing additional pollutants into unimpaired streams, to enhance farm viability and to contribute to the State’s open space goals.

A component of the natural resource conservation goals of the Agricultural Smart Growth Plan for New Jersey, the program seeks the enrollment of 30,000 acres of agricultural lands into conservation practices that will improve the quality of runoff from agricultural land by implementing practices such as riparian buffers, filter strips, contour grass strips and grass waterways. Fencing and soil bioengineering practices may be used in conjunction with these practices. Farm landowners will be able to voluntarily enroll their riparian buffer areas into rental contracts for 10-15 years or into both a 10-15 year rental contract and a permanent easement contract to reduce non-point source impairment. Of the 30,000 acres targeted for enrollment, 4,000 acres are targeted for permanent preservation.

The Program will pay 100% of the cost to establish the conservation practice, annual rental payments based on the current approved weighted county soil rental rate and incentive payments equal to 100-150% of the land’s approved soil rental rate.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 89th State Agricultural Convention, assembled in Long Branch, New Jersey on February 3, 2004, affirm our support for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, as a way for New Jersey farmers to be recognized and compensated for their environmental stewardship.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we support the voluntary nature of the Program as it offers financial incentives to establish and maintain conservation practices on privately owned agricultural lands, thereby enhancing farm viability.