North Dakota Riparian Project - Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

Through the North Dakota Riparian Project CREP, federal and state resources are available for landowners to enroll in CRP in portions of Adams, Billings, Bowman, Burleigh, Dunn, Emmons, Grant, Golden Valley, Hettinger, McKenzie, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sioux, Slope and Stark counties (see map). Participants establish herbaceous cover in a combination of practices including riparian buffers (CP22), filter strips (CP21) and pollinators (CP42 and CP42B).

General Program Guidelines

Participants must enroll land into a USDA CRP contract and a Department Private Land Open To Sportsman agreement simultaneously. The Department will assist landowners with the enrollment process. Enrollment is on a continuous basis. Landowners can apply at their local county USDA service center, or they can contact a Department Private Lands Biologist in their area.

Payment Rates

Under the North Dakota Riparian Project CREP, eligible participants receive a combination of USDA and Department PLOTS payments.

USDA payments may include:

• Cost-share of up to 50 percent of cost to install the approved conservation practice;
• A one-time signing incentive payment up to $150 per acre, depending on chosen CRP practices;
• An annual soil rental payment;
• An annual soil rental rate incentive payment of 10-40 percent for certain practices;

Department PLOTS payments may include:

• A one-time incentive payment of $100 per CREP acre enrolled;
• Cost-share of up to 50 percent of cost to install the approved conservation practice;
• An annual payment for land enrolled in the Private Land Open to Sportsman program. Additional lands may also be enrolled in PLOTS.

Landowner must agree to:

• Enter into a CRP contract with USDA – Farm Service Agency for 10-15 years;
• Enroll CREP acres into a PLOTS agreement for the term of the CRP contract; minimum of 40 acres of land must be enrolled in PLOTS;
• Follow terms and conditions of the USDA CRP contract on CREP acres;
• Allow the Department to sign and publicize the access acres as open to walk-in hunting.