Maryland farmers who are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program with contracts due to expire Sept. 30 now have the opportunity to transition to a 30-year contract option through USDA’s Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers initiative — or CLEAR30.

To encourage participation, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a one-time bonus payment of $1,000 per acre as an incentive for CLEAR30-approved contracts in the state.

The CLEAR30 initiative provides an opportunity for producers to receive incentives for a 30-year commitment to water-quality practices on their land, building on their original 10- to 15-year CRP and CREP contracts.

“With CLEAR30, Maryland producers now have the opportunity to commit to water-quality improvement practices that will be implemented for the next 30 years,” Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder says. “Having these practices in place long term will help Maryland decrease runoff and help our state meet our Chesapeake Bay goals.”

MDA’s bonus payment of $1,000 per acre will be eligible on accepted CLEAR30 contracts except for grass waterways and contour grass strips. 

Current CRP and CREP enrollees with contracts expiring before Sept. 30 must apply with a local USDA Service Center before Aug. 6.

For more information on CLEAR30, visit the USDA Farm Service Agency website. For questions or details on MDA’s bonus payment, email Alisha Mulkey at [email protected].

Source: Maryland Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.