A conservation program is reopening to Illinois farmers and landowners. $20 million dollars is coming from the Rebuild Illinois program to open the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or CREP for new enrollments for the first time since 2015. IDNR Director Colleen Callahan says it’s a good way to support conservation efforts.

Some of the finer details of the program have changed, including the length of the contracts between the state and the landowner. CREP signup is open across 63 counties in the Illinois and Kaskaskia River Watersheds.