As we have added to the acreage on our timber farm, two of the parcels included some established cropland. When purchased, the cropland was tended by local farmers and plantings rotated based on market conditions. Two of the typical crops were cotton and tobacco. The former requires quite a bit of chemical augmentation and with the latter we had ethical/moral concerns. Neither really fit with our overall goals to improve habitat for all wildlife. This left us with some decisions about the best management for these areas. We actively sought out other options and eventually learned about the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The CRP is the largest land conservation program in the country and is administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). It provides financial support for landowners to establish protective cover on environmentally sensitive lands. In exchange for taking crop lands out of production, CRP offers up to 50% reimbursement for the cost of establishing protective cover along with an annual rental payment. North Carolina is one of nine southern states where the CRP has a special focus on restoring the native Longleaf pine (LLP) to its former, historical range. This seemed like a near perfect fit for our overall goals of land ownership. Here was a potential opportunity to get some technical and financial help with our habitat improvement while still maintaining yearly rental income.

Well, what’s the catch? First of all you are signing a contract with the government which in and of itself would be a deal-breaker for many. Contracts are typically 10-15 years in length. This means 10-15 yrs of guaranteed “rental” income but it also means 10-15 years of land management. Also, there is a penalty for removing the land early from CRP. Depending on circumstances, the penalty can be steep including reimbursement of all funds received plus interest. Is the trade-off acceptable to us?

Well, we think so.

• Once established, the ongoing management of LLP is very straightforward. The contract calls for periodic controlled burning along with managing firebreaks as needed.
• The length of contract is reasonable considering that trees grow slowly. We keep ownership of the trees which are an asset that gradually increases in value.
• We do not have to negotiate contracts with farmers annually.
• We do not have to have crops planted that we don’t like.
• We are contributing to improved habitat for wildlife.
• The LLP habitat is esthetically appealing.
• The annual “rental” payment will more than cover the property tax bills for all our parcels and as well many miscellaneous expenses.

We feel this is a true winning formula for our particular situation.

With the rest of this and with future posts, I will try to describe the process we are going through in our efforts to establish the LLP ecosystem on our small areas of former cropland. Obviously this will be a work in progress and hopefully I will be able to give many updates over the years.

Applying to and getting accepted into the program were the first steps. Without going into boring detail, this involved determining soil suitability, evaluating previous crop history and clarifying what our goals were for the land. It’s a competitive process and if successful, this is where the rental payments are determined and the contract is signed. While this process was occurring, we worked with the NC state and county foresters, and the NC Wildlife Resource Commission’s technical assistance biologist John Isenhour to develop a plan for establishing the LLP ecosystem. Notice I said LLP ecosystem. A healthy pine savannah includes a healthy understory of native grasses and forbs. Land that has been managed for many years as cropland is depleted in native plants seeds and is replete with the seeds of opportunistic weeds that have been selected by years of herbicides and subsequently encouraged by liming (artificially raising soil pH) and aggressive fertilization. Our management plan included plans for both tree planting and the replenishment of the native plant population.

We were accepted into the program and signed the contracts!

Well, enough discussion about the background and on to the fun stuff. Future posts will include pictures, I promise.

Next: Preparation and Planting