Washington State Conservation Commission

The Washington Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) provides funding to farmers and ranchers to help conserve priority salmon stocks.  

Landowners enroll land located along water bodies with priority salmonid stocks, and buffer zones are reforested.  These buffers will result in increased fish and wildlife habitat, cooler stream temperatures, decreased sediment into streams, and increased food available to fish.  Participants are reimbursed for 100% of the eligible costs to establish the buffer and receive an annual rental payment per acre enrolled.

CREP is funded by the USDA Farm Service Agency and the State of Washington.  The federal government contributes about 80 percent of the total costs, while the State covers the remaining 20 percent.

The minimum width of a buffer starts at 35 feet and can extend to an optional maximum of 180 feet.  More landowners choose the 180-foot option rather than narrower buffers.