Conservation programs
How does this market work?
Am I eligible?
How do I sign-up?
How much money is provided through cost-share programs?
How much will it cost me to implement actions?
I’m interested. What do I do now?
How does this market work?
Bay Bank connects landowners to a variety of conservation programs that pay for portions of conservation projects (i.e., cost-share). Conservation programs can also help landowners pay for some up-front planning costs associated with ecosystem service markets.
These cost-share programs are run by federal, state, and local agencies as well not-for-profit organizations. Bay Bank currently focuses on a subset of well-funded federal programs, but will expand our offerings over time. These programs include:
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
EQIP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) program that provides agricultural producers with cost-share assistance to implement practices on their farm or forest that result in benefits to the environment in their watershed, county, or state.
The program is well funded and has a wide diversity of eligible practices, making it an excellent opportunity for producers seeking to install conservation practices on their land.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
CREP is conservation partnership between states and the federal government. It provides generous, annual funding to farmers and other rural landowners to implement specific conservation practices for long periods of time. CREP provides cost share that often covers the full cost of implementing practices that benefit the natural environment while also paying signing bonuses, annual rental payments, and additional practice implementation incentive payments.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
WHIP is a NRCS program providing cost-share assistance to implement practices to restore grassland habitat to benefit birds such as grouse, restore and manage forest corridors to provide habitat linkages, restore and manage riparian corridors, restore and manage wetlands for waterfowl, and invasive species removal.
The program is well funded and has a wide diversity of eligible practices, making it an excellent opportunity for producers seeking to install conservation practices specifically related to wildlife habitat on their land.
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
WRP is a unique NRCS program focused on wetland restoration in agricultural settings. This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.
Forest Stewardship Program (FSP)
The Forest Stewardship plan provides assistance through state forest agencies to help landowners develop and implement sustainable forest management plans on their woodlots. Plans developed through this program are oriented to the landowner’s specific goals – timber production, wildlife habitat, etc. The plan developed will help guide the landowner in their land management decisions and also can provide eligibility for other cost-share programs such as EQIP.
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
AMA is a NRCS program that provides agricultural producers with cost-share assistance to implement practices on their farm or forest that encourages soil conservation, reduce non-point source pollution of surface and groundwater, air quality improvements, and at-risk species conservation.
Am I eligible?
The first step in determining your eligibility is to visit LandServer, http://www.landserver.org. LandServer can generate a report that estimates your potential for a variety of conservation funding opportunities. LandServer currently estimates conservation program potential for a variety of U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.
In addition to some location and land use-based requirements identified by LandServer, you must also meet the following program requirements:
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Have $1,000 or more in income from the sale of agricultural products in the previous year or in 2 of the 5 previous years or show evidence of a forest management or stewardship plan, a prior record of harvest, or proof of capital investment.
- Have legal control of the land you are seeking to enroll, either through ownership or contract
- Have an average adjusted gross income for the last three years less than $3.5 million and more than 75% of your adjusted gross income from farming
- Not have planted crops on highly erodible soils or wetlands after 1985 or drained a wetland after 1990 with the intention of using the land for crops
- Not have the same piece of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
- The land is cropland or marginal pasture, adjacent to a perennial or intermittent stream or wetland, and capable of supporting a buffer (e.g. a forest buffer, filter strip, wetland buffer, or wildlife buffer)
- The land is cropland that is capable of supporting wetland restoration
- The land is capable of supporting habitat for declining wildlife and/or plant species
- The cropland has been planted in four of six crop years and is still legally and physically capable of producing a crop
- If your land is marginal pasture, it is not currently functioning as a forest buffer
- The land has less than 20% invasive species on the portion you would like to enroll
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
- Have legal control of the land, either through ownership or contract, for the duration of the contract period
- Have an average adjusted gross income for the last three years less than $1 million, unless more than 2/3 of your income is from farming, ranching, or forestry
- Not have planted crops on highly erodible soils or wetlands after 1985 or drained a wetland after 1990 with the intention of using the land for crops
- The land is privately-owned agricultural lands, non-industrial private forest land, or privately owned land that is suitable for the production of food or fiber.
- Not have the same piece of land enrolled in the conservation reserve program, conservation reserve enhancement program, grasslands reserve program, or wetlands reserve program.
- The land where you plan to apply practices is at least 1 acre
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
- Have ownership of the land you would like to enroll
- Have owned the land for at least 12 months
- The land was not converted from a wetland to another use after December 23, 1085.
- The land is not subject to a CRP contract.
- The land is not subject to a contract or conservation easement restricting production of agricultural commodities for 30 or more years.
Forest Stewardship Program (FSP)
- Be a non industrial private forest owner, which is defined as land with existing tree coverage or land suitable for growing trees.
- Have a minimum of five acres in Maryland (six acres if a house is on the site). Delaware has no minimum acreage requirements in state and federal cost share and incentive programs.
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
- Have $1,000 or more in income from the sale of agricultural products in the previous year or in 2 of the 5 previous years or show evidence of a forest management or stewardship plan, a prior record of harvest, or proof of capital investment.
- Have legal control of the land, either through ownership or contract.
- Have an average adjusted gross income for the last three years less than $3.5 million and more than 75% of your adjusted gross income from farming
- The land is currently used for agricultural or livestock production
- If you are seeking to implement a structural practice (e.g. a planted buffer), have permission from the landowner if the practice will be installed on rented land
- Not have the same piece of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program
How do I sign-up?
If you are interested in implementing actions with conservation program cost-share funding, you can create an “expression of interest” in your Bay Bank account.
For federal cost-share programs you should also follow the fill out the relevant application:
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)In Maryland, contact your local US Department of Agriculture service center
In Delaware, contact your local US Department of Agriculture service center
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
Forest Stewardship Program (FSP)
In Maryland, call your local forest service office
In Delaware, contact Sam Topper at sam.topper@state.de.us.
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
How much money is provided through cost-share programs?
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
These programs provide cost-share from the federal government for practice implementation of up to 75% of the cost of installing the practice and up to 100% of foregone income as a result of practice installation, with a cap of $300,000 per producer during a 6 year period.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
CREP provides cost share to implement practices that benefit the natural environment. Unlike other programs, CREP also pays signing bonuses, annual rental payments, and additional practice implementation incentive payments.
Incentive payments from CREP are much higher than other programs because it focuses on a small set of specific practices that provide significant long-term environmental benefits. Generally, these practices focus on preventing nutrients from entering surface water and providing wildlife habitats. CREP contacts are for 10-15 years, during which time you must maintain the practices implemented under your contract
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
WHIP provides cost-share from the federal government for practice implementation of up to 75% of the cost of installing the practice and up to 100% of foregone income as a result of practice installation, with a cap of $50,000 per person per year.
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
WRP provides cost-share for three different actions:- Permanent conservation easement: if you are willing to place a permanent conservation easement on the area of land covered by the restored wetland, NRCS will pay you 100% of the land value for the easement and up to 100% of the cost of the wetland restoration project.
- Term conservation easement: if you don’t want a permanent conservation easement on your land, but are willing to commit to long term conservation, there is a 30-year easement option. In this case, a 30 year easement would be put in place to protect the restored wetland and NRCS will pay you 75% of the land value and up to 75% of the wetland restoration costs.
- Restoration: NRCS will share up to 75% of the cost of wetland restoration without a long-term conservation agreement.
Forest Stewardship Program (FSP)
- Plan preparation in Delaware is free.
- Maryland provides plan preparation funding according to the size of your forest:
< 5 acres = $100
5—25 acres = $200
26—50 acres = $225
51—100 acres = $250
101—500 acres = $275
501 or more acres = $300
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
AMA provides cost-share from the federal government for practice implementation of up to 75% of the cost of installing the practice, with a cap of $300,000 per producer during a 6 year period and no more than $50,000 per producer per year.
How much will it cost me to implement actions?
Your costs will be determined by the cost-share rates for each program. Typically, 75% of the average cost of implementing a practice is supplied. Therefore, landowners will need to provide 25% of the costs. To view specific costs, see the links below:
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Maryland Practice Catalog
Delaware FY-2010 EQIP Eligible Conservation Practices
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Maryland CREP Practice Summary
Maryland Continuous CRP Summary of Practices
Delaware - N/A
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
Maryland Practice Catalog
Delaware - N/A
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
Maryland Geographic Area Rate Cap (GARC) for FY 2010 WRP
Delaware - N/A
Forest Stewardship Program (FSP)
Maryland – contact district foresters
Delaware - Free
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
Maryland Practice Catalog
Delaware - N/A
I’m interested. What do I do now?
To get started with a conservation program, simply:- In your account page, create an “expression of interest” for the appropriate program.
- Fill out application
- Conservation districts and NRCS will now be able to find you and or Bay Bank will contact the appropriate program coordinator
