Section 1515.30  Enrollment Process

a)     An applicant for the program must be enrolled in the Federal portion of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

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 the 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 contract supplement, a 35 year contract supplement, or a permanent easement.

c)     The State enrollment form (Form) and the FSA approved CRP contract of the land to be enrolled shall be faxed to Office of Resource Conservation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (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 Form with the enrollment number and approval date or waiting list date shall be faxed back to the county SWCD office.  The county SWCD shall work with the  landowner to execute either a contract supplement 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 a contract supplement or permanent easement, the landowner shall be liable for repayment of the costs incurred, including costs of survey, title work, attorney fees, cost share and recording fees associated with the enrollment process.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 13600, effective October 9, 2001)