For Immediate Release

DATE: 8/1/08

Contact:

Christina Reed

614-255-2527

COLUMBUS, OHIO - August 1, 2008 - The State Executive Director for Ohio's Farm Service Agency (FSA), John Stevenson, and the Director for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Sean Logan, today announced an agreement between the State of Ohio, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Commodity Credit Corporation to expand the area eligible for the Ohio Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (LECREP).

The expanded area of the LECREP will include the Rocky River Watershed within Lorain and Medina Counties. With the approval of the LECREP Addendum, producers within this area may now offer land for enrollment into LECREP. "There has been a lot of interest expressed by farmers and landowners within this area to convert cropland to high quality conservation practices under CREP, so we worked with the State to develop an addendum to the current LECREP for USDA approval," Stevenson said. Despite rising crop prices, CREP is still a viable economic alternative to cropping environmentally-sensitive land, especially less productive acres.

The LECREP, which is jointly administered between USDA and ODNR, is a voluntary program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally-sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water. LECREP conservation practices include filter strips, wetlands, and hardwood tree plantings. These practices will reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients entering streams to help prevent water pollution, minimize the risk of flooding, and enhance wildlife habitat in the Lake Erie Watershed. The Lake Erie CREP is available in the following Ohio counties; Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Lorain, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot.

The LECREP program will run on a continuous basis, meaning eligible land may be enrolled at any time until 67,000 acres have been enrolled, or when it is agreed between USDA and the State that the CREP shall end. Currently, 32,000 acres are enrolled in the program. With the changes in this addendum, farmers and landowners within the Lorain and Medina County portion of the Rocky River Watershed will now have thirteen different Lake Erie CREP practices to choose from including: grass filter strips, wetlands, riparian buffers, and wildlife habitat development to name a few. "The cleaner water filtered through the streamside buffers will directly benefit landowners, farmers, aquatic and upland wildlife as well as help maintain the bustling Great Lakes tourism and water sports economy," Logan added. Furthermore, many communities in the Lake Erie Watershed depend on Lake Erie as their primary source of drinking water.

The LECREP unites the conservation efforts of landowners and farmers with the USDA's Farm Service Agency, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Environmental Defense Fund, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and many other local organizations. Farmers and landowners interested in signing up for the Lake Erie CREP program should contact their county Farm Service Agency office, or access the FSA Website at: the CREP State Update page.