After what has seemed like years of meetings, conference calls, presentations, phone calls, and letters, Montana’s $57 million Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has been amended to make it more user-friendly. CREP assists farmers and ranchers in improving the water quality within a two-mile wide corridor long the Missouri and Madison River systems. The total project area reaches more than 500 miles from Hebgen Dam to the Fred Robinson Bridge, encompassing over 338,000 private land acres.

The biggest change is the amendment of Conservation Practice CP-22 for Riparian Forest Buffers. Previously, only land within 180 feet of the riverbank could be enrolled. Now, however, riparian forest buffers can be enrolled and implemented up to 1320 feet from the riverbank as long as the land is in the floodplain. The inclusion of a wider riparian forest buffer makes the program more practical and cost-effective for riverfront landowners who want to establish and protect vegetation in the riparian area.

The next biggest change is the addition of a Conservation Practice (CP-1) to allow introduced grasses in CREP lands. Previously, landowners with non-native grass stands were required to completely tear out the non-native plants prior to seeding a CREP-approved native seed mix, which opened a window for weed infestations to come in and take hold. With the addition of CP-1, landowners will be better able to manage weeds while establishing and encouraging stands of native grasses in the Missouri River’s upland areas. Enrollment of a maximum of 3,000 acres is allowed for the CP-1 practice. Four other Conservation Practices were added to the CREP - two address wetland restoration in non-floodplain and floodplain areas while the other two allow enrollment of marginal pastureland for habitat and wetland buffers.

Producers within Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Gallatin, Lewis & Clark, Madison, and Phillips counties may contact the local USDA Service Center for specific information concerning CREP eligibility.