Section 1515.30  Enrollment Process

a)         An applicant for the program must be enrolled in the Federal portion of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or meet the criteria in Section 1515.40(d) or (e).

b)         For the State incentive program, the enrollment process is initiated at the county Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office.  The landowner, who must be enrolled in the Federal portion of CREP or meet the criteria in Section 1515.40(d) or (e), completes the State enrollment form that specifies the desired option: a 15-year easement, a 35-year easement or a permanent easement.

c)         The State enrollment form (Form) and the FSA approved CRP contract of the land to be enrolled shall be submitted online to IDNR to document the date and time received. The Form is assigned an enrollment number and an approval date that obligates the State funding for that enrollment.  Enrollments are accepted and numbers assigned on a first come-first served basis. If the appropriation for that fiscal year has been fully obligated, then the Form is assigned a number and a date and placed on the waiting list for subsequent appropriations.

d)         The  enrollment number and approval date or waiting list date shall be e-mailed back to the county SWCD office.  The county SWCD shall work with the landowner to execute either a 15-year, 35-year or permanent easement document and record the appropriate document at the County Courthouse.

e)         Upon the voluntary cancellation of enrollment in the program by the landowner, prior to execution of the 15-year, 35-year or permanent easement, the landowner shall be liable for repayment of the costs incurred by the SWCD and IDNR.  These costs will include: administrative costs for meeting landowners, completing CREP documents and executing easement paid to the SWCD by IDNR; attorney fees paid by the SWCD; costs for surveys, title work, cost share payments, recording fees and other SWCD costs for the enrollment process through the date of cancellation.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 1636, effective January 14, 2011)