The following lists some of the general responsibilities and maintenance requirements of the CRP participant regarding terms of your CRP contract(s). These are general items and are not intended to be inclusive of all details or all responsibilities. Refer to your Conservation Plan of Operations (CPO) for specific guidelines. Compliance with all the terms and conditions of the CRP contract(s) and monitoring the CRP practice(s) is the participant’s responsibility.
1. The practices approved for your CRP contract must be established by the specified deadline and maintained during the contract term. Maintenance activities may not be performed during the primary nesting season (PNS) of April 15 through July 15. Contact your local FSA office if you have concerns regarding your practice, the practice status, or practice progression.
2. CRP Maintenance:
- Maintenance activities must be planned and completed to maintain the required practice cover as specified in the CRP contract. Failure to maintain CRP cover can result in contract violations. One example of failure to maintain cover would be volunteer trees or brush in grassland practices where trees and/or brush are not included as part of the approved practice components in the Conservation Plan.
- Action must be taken to control existence and spread of noxious weeds on contract acreage. All state-designated noxious weeds such as Sericea Lespedeza, Musk Thistle, Johnson Grass, Bind Weed, etc. must be controlled. If you identify noxious weeds on CRP, contact NRCS or the county noxious weed department for assistance on chemical products along with rates and timing of application that will be most effective in controlling and/or eliminating noxious weeds.
- All stands must be maintained by mowing, burning, chemicals, etc. to control trees/brush and undesirable vegetation, noxious weeds, pests, etc. Producers need to review their Conservation Plan as a guide to determine what is required of them. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your local FSA or NRCS office.
3. Haying, grazing or harvesting of CRP acres is not allowed. Participants may request to perform haying and/or grazing on CRP acres provided written approval by FSA is received before the activity begins. Specific provisions apply.
4. Recreational hunting is permitted on CRP consistent with state laws and bag limits appropriate for the game species. Barrier fencing or boundary limitations that prohibit wildlife access to or from the CRP acreage is not allowed.
5. Firebreaks may be installed according to NRCS technical standards when included in a revised CPO.
6. Prohibited use of CRP includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Asphalt/concrete plants
- Trash disposal areas
- Parking and/or storage of machinery, junked autos, hay bales, etc.
- Livestock feed storage
- Permanent roads/lanes/trails
- Oil and gas wells, associated tanks and access roads, etc.
- Cosmetic mowing or mowing of strips for wildlife
- Buildings, houses, permanent structures, etc.
7. An annual certification of CRP compliance must be completed before July 15 by filing an acreage report on the FSA-578 or filing a certification card, CRP-817U.
8. USDA completes continuous random inspections throughout the year to ensure CRP contracts follow program provisions. When a compliance issue occurs, the terms and conditions outlined under the CRP-1 Appendix and CRP regulations will be used to resolve the compliance issue which may include assessed penalties and/or contract termination.
9. Required management activities designed to enhance the conservation practice must be completed as scheduled in the CPO. Additional voluntary management activities can be requested.
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