Benefits of Buffers

Like the trim on a house makes the house look better, well-planned conservation buffers improve the appearance of one’s property or farmland. If used as part of a comprehensive conservation system, buffers will make great use of areas that often should not or cannot be cropped. Buffers also provide numerous environmental benefits, such as nutrient, sediment and pesticide runoff reduction, erosion control and improving water quality. For further information, visit the Environmental Benefits page.

Although many benefits from reduced runoff are realized off the farm, farmers themselves can also get direct economic benefits from buffers. In its effort to encourage the establishment of buffers, the USDA and many state governments offer various financial incentive programs. In addition, a farmer’s ditch maintenance costs may also go down.

For many landowners, the most attractive program providing financial assistance for installing buffers is the continuous signup option of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Under the continuous signup, there is no national competition to enroll land and no evaluation or waiting period. If you have land suitable for certain buffer practices and agree to the annual payment rate, which is determined by soil type, your offer is considered immediately accepted under the continuous signup for contracts of up to 15 years. In addition to the annual payment, you may receive further incentives such as a yearly bonus of 20% for filter strips, riparian buffers, grassed waterways, restored wetlands and field windbreaks. For further economic-related benefits, visit the Farmer and Landowner Benefits page.

It's important to note that buffers are not a "silver bullet." To maximize their effectiveness, buffers should be combined with additional conservation practices, such as conservation tillage, nutrient management and/or integrated pest management. They work best when part of a comprehensive conservation plan. Working together, these practices will undoubtedly provide an effective and profitable conservation program.

When deciding if conservation buffers are right for your operation, consider consolidating conservation efforts. However, before beginning any buffer project, check with your local USDA Service Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service or Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office about the incentives available in your area.

For more information on the benefits of conservation buffers, visit the following:

• Environmental Buffer Benefits
• Farmer and Landowner Buffer Benefits
• "A Collection Buffer Success Stories" on the USDA NRCS Website
• Iowa State University's article, "Use Conservation Buffers to Make Dollars and Sense"