CRP sign-up meetings offered

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a Conservation Reserve Program general sign-up.

The St. Croix County Farm Service Agency and Pheasants Forever will be hosting a landowner informational meeting at the Ag Service Center at 1960 Eighth Avenue in Baldwin on Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. to help answer questions about the CRP sign-up and how to improve enrollment chances and wildlife values.

The new general CRP signup which goes from March 14 through April 15 is expected to have strong landowner demand. The St. Croix County FSA staff and Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist J.D. Armstrong will be on hand to provide a brief presentation and answer questions during the meeting on March 9.

“The process for enrollment is pretty complex and the competition to get in is often steep,” Armstrong said. “We are providing this service to help out those who are interested in making a successful offer as well as learning how the program can best benefit pheasants and other wildlife.”

As in past CRP general sign-ups, USDA will score offers using the Environmental Benefits Index. This formula driven system evaluates each tract of land according to its environmental values and challenges and how the landowner chooses to offer it into the program.

According to Bob Forrest, executive director of the St. Croix County FSA office, there are only a few things that a landowner can offer that will increase the EBI score.

“This landowner informational meeting is designed to help landowners to better understand the basics of CRP enrollment, as well as specifically address what the landowner can change in their offer to increase the chances of it being accepted,” Forrest said.

There is no charge for participating. However, since space is limited, pre-registration is appreciated.

For more information or to register for the meeting, call the St. Croix County FSA office at 715-684-2874, ext. 2.

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