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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
Act now to take advantage of CREP funds
In the bonding bill that was recently approved by the House, our district was awarded a share of the $23 million included for CREP funding. I thought it might be useful this week to explain briefly what that funding is and how we will receive it.
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) agreement is a joint, state-federal land conservation program targeted for significant agriculture-related environmental projects. It was signed in 1998 and was originally intended to support the State's goal of making the Minnesota River clean enough for people to fish and swim in by the year 2002. It initially provided for the enrollment of 190,000 acres of land through the year 2002, and was extended by the 2002 Farm Bill through December 31, 2007.
CREP is a voluntary program that uses financial incentives to encourage landowners to enroll in contracts lasting 10 to 15 years. These landowners receive payments for installing specific conservation practices, such as planting native grasses and hardwoods, wetland restoration, filter and buffer strips and restoration of rare and declining habitats, in addition to protecting the quality of the river.
In this year's bonding bill, three areas of the state were awarded CREP funds: the SE and SW corners and the Red River area. In the SE, all or part of 17 counties are included in the designated CREP area. This includes over 4.5 million acres, 3 million of which are cultivated cropland.
To be eligible for participation in CREP, the land must have been owned or operated by the applicant for the previous 12 months and must have been planted in crops 2 of the last 5 years and be physically and legally capable of being planted in a normal manner.
The Soil and Water Conservation District Board and the Farm Service Agency administer CREP. The key person in our area is Justin Hanson, who can be reached at (507) 434-2603. He can explain the program to you, help identify your options and work with you to develop a plan to get maximum incentives.
Once the application is completed, the paperwork will be started immediately. October 1 is the probable starting date to receive full funding. Early application and project determination is strongly encouraged to take full advantage of this program.
Every week I enjoy meeting with the variety of people who come to St. Paul. Last week I had visitors from Prairie Visions to talk to me about the Shooting Star recreational trail and Lake Louise State Park, and I met with local firefighters, area teachers, ministers, and township officers from Mower County.
It is important for me to strengthen connections with people in the district and I appreciate the opportunity to take tours, have meetings and simply talk about issues of concern. Last Saturday I spent the day in LeRoy at the Farm and Home show sponsored by the commercial club, where I was able to meet with a number of people from the area and hear their concerns or comments. I also toured the Exol ethanol plant in nearby Glenville, which is owned by corn growers from our district.
My visit to the ethanol plant reaffirmed for me the importance of ethanol production in our area. In January I coauthored legislation that will raise the required level of ethanol in gasoline from 10% to 20%. If this passes, it will provide a real boost to our economy.
In order to provide the latest information to the residents in my district, I will be starting an email newsletter that will provide periodic updates on what is happening here at the Capitol. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please email me at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn and your name will be added to our list.
Please feel free to call or write if you have ideas or concerns you want to share about state or local issues. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at the above address.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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