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NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF <br />ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION <br />April 24, 1998 <br />NCDENR <br />SOIL & WATER <br />P.O. BOX 27687, RALEIGH. NORTH CAROLINA 27611-7687 i� <br />PHONE 919- 733 -2302 FAX 919-715-35,59 CONSERVATION <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / APPIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER - 50% RECYCLEO /1 0% POST - CONSUMER PAPER <br />Dear Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors and Staff: <br />JAMES 8. HIJNTJR. �.'k I <br />GOVERNOR <br />We are contacting you about an exciting new USDA program —the <br />Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). This program was <br />established by the 1996 Farm Bill to cost - effectively meet specific <br />conservation and environmental objectives of the state and the nation. A state <br />E MCDEViTT <br />ECR <br />SCRETARY <br />SE <br />can propose to enhance the familiar Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as <br />- <br />long as the program is consistent with the CRP regulations. A successful <br />proposal will mean open enrollment for producers and over four dollars of <br />' <br />federal funds for every state dollar spent on the project. Four states have <br />c. DEVNEYBoTTS ; <br />already received approval for CREP projects and each one totaled $200 <br />DIRECTOR <br />million or more. North Carolina must move quickly to submit its proposal <br />because USDA funds are limited and enrollment authorization ends on <br />September 30, 2002. <br />-r <br />The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with <br />-r <br />assistance from a working group consisting of interested agencies, including <br />the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and <br />- <br />the Division of Soil and Water Conservation, has been developing a draft <br />-- <br />proposal for North Carolina. We now have enough details worked out to <br />' <br />share it with you and ask for your comments and support. <br />Briefly, North Carolina is proposing a $274.5 million program to <br />enroll up to 100,000 acres of active farmland near rivers, streams, field <br />ditches, and wetlands in 15 -year CR.P contracts and permanent <br />easements. USDA requires the state to provide at least 20 percent of the total <br />project costs. USDA will pay annual rent, bonuses, and maintenance fees for <br />15 years and 50 percent of installation costs for eligible BMPs. The state <br />' <br />proposes to pay for purchasing permanent easements on approximately 65,000 <br />acres after the CRP contracts expire (however, the state's payment must be <br />: <br />made when the property is enrolled), and proposes to pay up to 40 percent on <br />installation of the riparian forested buffer BNIP on approximately 50,000 <br />_.1 <br />acres. The geographic focus covers the Chowan, Neuse, and Tar - Pamlico <br />=". <br />river basins and the Jordan Lake watershed. <br />: - <br />We are enclosing for your review the pertinent portions of the <br />proposal —the executive summary, project description, and cost analysis. We <br />want to bring to your attention the recommended role for the affected Soil and <br />Water Conservation Districts (pg. 17) and the recommended $7.50 per acre <br />per year through the year 2002 for each acre enrolled by a District in <br />SOIL & WATER <br />P.O. BOX 27687, RALEIGH. NORTH CAROLINA 27611-7687 i� <br />PHONE 919- 733 -2302 FAX 919-715-35,59 CONSERVATION <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / APPIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER - 50% RECYCLEO /1 0% POST - CONSUMER PAPER <br />