WDTC Site of Historic Conservation Reserve Agreement between USDA & Three Tribal Nations
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Farm Service Agency
Nov. 17, 2022
Three Tribal Nations in the Great Plains are partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help conserve, maintain and improve grassland productivity, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The Cheyenne River, Oglala and Rosebud Sioux Tribes are entering into CREP agreements with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to enroll eligible grassland, pastureland, and other agricultural lands within the boundaries of their reservations in this conservation program.
These are the first-ever CREP agreements in partnership with Tribal Nations— reflecting priorities and goals of USDA to broaden the scope and reach of its voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs to engage underserved communities. Scott Marlow, FSA’s Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, met with Tribal leaders at the Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City to highlight the CREP agreements and to discuss the benefits of conservation. Attendees included Tribal chairmen from the Cheyenne River, Oglala, and Rosebud tribes and representatives from the Intertribal Agriculture Council.