Orange County NC Website
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43 <br />1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />3. Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). CREP is a voluntary program that <br />seeks to protect land along watercourses that is currently in agricultural production. The <br />objectives of the program include: installing 100,000 acres of forested riparian buffers, <br />grassed filter strips and wetlands; reducing the impacts of sediment and nutrients within <br />the targeted area; and providing substantial ecological benefits for many wildlife species <br />that are declining in part as a result of habitat loss. Under CREP, landowners can <br />voluntarily enroll eligible land in 10-year, 15-year, 30-year, and permanent contracts. <br />The state will pay additional bonuses to landowners who enroll land in 30-year and <br />permanent agreements. Cost sharing will be available for installation of forested <br />riparian buffers, grassed filter strips, wetlands restoration practices, water control <br />structures, livestock exclusion, and remote livestock watering in order to increase the <br />efficiency of enrolled practices. The program is currently available to property owners <br />with land in the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico and Chowan river basins and the Jordan Lake <br />watersheds.ze <br />4. Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). The Wetlands Reserve Program offers landowners <br />the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The NRCS <br />provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland <br />restoration efforts. The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and <br />values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. The <br />WRP offers landowners three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and <br />restoration cost-share agreements of minimum 10-year duration. <br />5. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This program provides a source of <br />funding for nutrient management systems. The program offers technical, financial, and <br />educational assistance in designated priority areas to install or implement structural, <br />vegetative, and management practices called for in five to ten year contracts for most <br />agricultural land uses. Orange County farmers received $360,000 from this program <br />over the last four years. <br />6. Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). This program encourages creation of high <br />quality wildlife habitats that support wildlife populations of national, state, tribal and <br />local significance by providing technical and financial assistance to landowners and <br />others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property. <br />There are numerous other training and cost-share programs administered by the Cooperative <br />Extension Service staff, Soil and Water Conservation District staff. Agriculture support staff also <br />provide training to local farm groups such as the Cattleman Association, Farm Bureau and <br />others. These programs should be continued and when possible expanded. <br />ze CREP is listed here under federal programs, although it is partially funded by Clean Water Management <br />Funds and administered by North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation. <br />Draft 11/09/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 32 <br />