FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2000

COLUMBUS — Governor Bob Taft today announced a new $201 million conservation partnership between the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect Lake Erie and 5,000 miles of Ohio streams by reducing soil erosion and runoff pollution in the lake's northwest Ohio watersheds. Vice President Al Gore made a concurrent announcement in Washington, D.C.

The federal/state agreement announced today establishes the Ohio Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which will pay farmers and other landowners to plant trees and establish conservation buffers along tributary streams in 27 northwest Ohio counties.

“By giving landowners incentives to create waterway buffers, we will help them significantly reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat throughout Lake Erie's northwest Ohio watersheds,” Taft said. “Ohio's agricultural community — most especially in northwest Ohio — has already made very significant progress toward the reduction of sedimentation and pollution. This new partnership builds on that success by encouraging voluntary, pro-active efforts at the grassroots level to further conserve our natural resources and improve water quality in Ohio,” Taft added.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is committing a 15-year, $167.5 million investment in the program. The State of Ohio will provide an additional $33.5 million over the next 10 years, creating a total federal/state investment of more than $201 million for establishment of conservation buffer zones in Lake Erie's northwest Ohio watersheds.

Counties included in the new program are: 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.

CREP is a voluntary program that uses financial incentives to encourage farmers to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by committing to protect land for either 15, 20 or 30 years, depending on the enrolled practice. In addition to reducing runoff of soil sediment, nutrients and pesticides, waterway buffers will also help lower water temperatures, increase dissolved oxygen and provide additional habitat for fish and wildlife.

Enrolled land must be either cropland, marginal pastureland or otherwise qualify for CRP enrollment. Cropland must have been planted to crops for two of the past five years and be physically and legally capable of being cropped. Marginal cropland may be enrolled, provided it is suitable for use as a waterway buffer planted to trees. Lands that have an existing CRP contract or an approved offer with a contract pending are not eligible for CREP until that contract expires.

Farmers and others owning land adjacent to waterways in the 27-county region are encouraged to contact their local soil and water conservation district for additional program information. Information is also available by contacting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Soil and Water Conservation at (614) 264-6610 (on the Internet at: www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/soil+water/ or from the Farm Service Agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service, located at local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Centers.