CRP MAINTANANCE REQUIREMENTS
As a participant in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP/CREP), there are several annual requirements that must be adhered to in order to retain eligibility for the program.
According to FSA, one requirement is to annually report the CRP/CREP acreage, land uses, and any other crop(s) planted on your farm(s). If just reporting CRP/CREP acreage and land uses, these must be reported by July 15 th of each crop year.
Another major requirement for CRP/CREP participation is the annual maintenance of your CRP/CREP acreage. Once established land enrolled in CRP/CREP CAN NOT be mowed between April 15 th and August 15 th for wildlife nesting reasons. Also, the land can not be mowed for aesthetic reasons. Annual mowing should only be done to maintain the desired growth according to your Conservation Plan prepared by NRCS and approved for you. The only exception to the non-mowing dates or annual mowing is during the first year or two of cover establishment. During this time you may mow more often to help control native weeds which help grasses to become established. Along this same line, control of Maryland State listed noxious weeds must be controlled at all times. It is suggested that you contact your County Weed Control Specialist to help you in developing a plan to control these weeds if they exist on your CRP/CREP acreage. Also, please contact the Farm Service Agency office BEFORE you begin any maintenance during the restricted maintenance timeframe on CRP ground for the control of noxious weeds. Maintenance penalties range from $75 per acre to loss of annual rental payments. In addition, random spot checks are done every year. If your acreage width is not correct, or if you have weeds taking over your stand, a penalty will be assessed.