CPRG Program

Illinois Department of Agriculture

FY2026 State of Illinois: Climate Pollution

Reduction Grant Program

Pre-enrollment Period starts at 8 AM CST, October 6, 2025

Program Submittal Period starts at 8 AM CST, October 15, 2025

Program Closes at 11:59 PM CST, October 22, 2025

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is implementing its inaugural Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program. The intent of the program is to promote the implementation of no-till and strip-till practices via the Partners for Conservation (PFC) Program and the State of Illinois Priority Climate Action Plan. 

Users will be able to enter their information into the CPRG Program Application website and validate it during a pre-enrollment period starting at 8 a.m. on October 6, 2025. Applications can be submitted once the program opens at 8 a.m. on October 15, 2025. Once available, applications can be saved at any time, prior to submittal, and must be completed in full prior to the program closing at 11:59 p.m. on October 22, 2025, to be eligible.

Application requirements include contact information; farm, tract, field, and common land unit (CLU) numbers; and field acres on which No-till or Strip-till practices will be implemented for three consecutive years starting in the fall of 2025. Selected applicants must also provide a CCC-902, FSA Subsidiary Report, and a Producer Farm Data Report or proof of control of land.

For application assistance, please see the “How-To” Guide below in the Frequently Asked Questions or contact your local Soil and Water Conservation (SWCD) office or the IDOA Bureau of Land and Water Resources at 217-782-6297 or by email at AGR.CPRG@Illinois.gov.

The IDOA is offering cost-share/financial incentives through the PFC Program to producers and landowners who will implement no-till or strip-till starting in the fall of 2025. All fields are eligible regardless of past or present implementation of no-till or strip-till practices. However, only acres not currently enrolled in other state, federal, or private programs to implement no-till or strip-till practices (e.g., EQIP, CSP, or any other program that may include state or federal funds) are eligible. The program is applicable for acreage currently or starting to implement no-till or strip-till while following the USDA-NRCS 329 Conservation Practice Standard Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (Code 329).  This practice only involves either a no soil disturbance operation (no-till) or an in-row soil disturbance operation (strip-till) during strip tillage, the planting operation, and a seed row/furrow closing device. There is no full-width soil disturbance allowed from the time immediately following harvest or termination of one cash crop through harvest or termination of the next cash crop in the rotation regardless of the depth of the tillage operation for three consecutive years starting in the fall of 2025.

Applications will be selected on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on.

Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement an acreage cap to accommodate at least one application per county.  Selected applicants will be assigned to a local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The local SWCD staff will work with the selected applicant to enter into a 3-year agreement, plan and develop practice job sheets, provide aerial map with boundary of project area, and complete a yearly Soil Health Assessment using the STAR Program. 

Program viability is subject to the availability of federal funds.

IDOA will verify applications and respective acreage and may contact applicants for additional clarifying information. SWCD staff will check selected applicant’s USDA Farm Bill eligibility, assist producers with practice job sheet development, verify practice implementation, and assist with payment and reporting documents. After the verification has been completed, the SWCD office will notify the IDOA and provide the financial incentive/cost-share payment. Verification will take place after the cash crop has been planted. Payments will be provided each year and will be issued by the local Soil and Water Conservation District after verification.

Applicants must certify that by signing up for this program, they give IDOA permission to share the information provided for administering the benefit to the beneficiary as documented on the application. Applicants also convey permission to IDOA or SWCD representative(s) access to the property enrolled, if necessary, to verify program requirements have been met. 

How do I access, complete, and submit the application?

A link to the CPRG Program application will be posted here soon. In the meantime, please see the “How-To” Guide for help through all steps of the application process from logging in and filling out the application to submitting the application. If you still have questions after reviewing the “How-To” Guide, please reach out to your local Soil & Water Conservation District, or you can contact the IDOA Bureau of Land and Water Resources by email at AGR.CPRG@Illinois.gov or call 217-782-6297.

Do you need information from my federal acreage report (FSA-578)?

No, but a copy of the CCC-902, FSA Subsidiary Report, and Producer Farm Data or proof of control of the land will be needed, if the applicant is selected.

Will a STAR field form be required?

Yes, the Healthy Soils Initiative (Public Act 103-00494) requires all state cost share conservation practices to have a soil health field assessment to be eligible to receive a payment. The STAR field form / STAR WebTool satisfies that requirement. If another soil health field assessment is used, such as soil health sampling, it must be approved by the IDOA, and those costs will be incurred by the applicant.

Will vertical tillage be allowed?

No, vertical tillage is considered a full-width soil disturbance regardless of equipment setting.

Can I utilize this program on acres cost-shared through other state and federal programs?

No, acres signed up through this program cannot be currently enrolled in other state or federal cost-share funding or incentives for implementing no-till or strip-till. This program is designed to incentivize acres in no-till or strip-till practices. However, this program would allow acres in addition to cost-shared acres. For example, if a farmer has 160 acres enrolled in a federal program for no-till or strip-till and decides to implement 320 acres of no-till or strip-till, the additional 320 acres will be eligible for the CPRG / Partners for Conservation Program if applied for and accepted.

How will IDOA verify eligible acres?

IDOA will use a combination of tools to verify acres in no-till or strip-till applied for through this program. Applications will be reviewed for overlap in enrollment of other federal and state programs. IDOA will then employ a variety of tools at their discretion. Applicants may be asked to provide further documentation to confirm applied fields implemented no-till or strip-till practices and meet the practice standards.

Is this sign-up for one year or multiple years?

This sign-up will be for a 3-year term on the same fields each year. Cash crops (Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, etc.) are expected to be no-till or strip-till planted in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The 2026 crop year for this program will start immediately after the harvest of the 2025 cash crop. 

What are the payment rates?

The payment rate for each of the 3 years of the program is $35 per acre, on the same fields each year. 

What if I sign-up but change my mind on what fields I no-till or strip-till?

Applicants should be sure of which fields they will implement no-till or strip-till practices before applying. Recovery of cost may be incurred by the applicant if there is a failure to implement no-till/strip-till practices for three consecutive years.

What is the limit on acreage an individual farmer can apply for?

Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement a lower acreage cap if needed to accommodate at least one application per county. 

Is there a maximum payment limit?  

Payments for this program are limited to $315,000 per person or legal entity over the term of the contract.  However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement an acre cap (and thus a payment cap) to accommodate at least one application per county.

How much funding does IDOA have for this program? What happens if sign-ups exceed available funding?

IEPA and IDOA have secured $67 million between the State of Illinois and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  Contracts with producers will be for 3 consecutive years on the same fields with the IDOA and local county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, allocating approximately $22.3 million per year for the program. IDOA will select applications on a first come, first served basis, per county, such that the first application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If there are remaining program funds after the first application per county is verified, the second application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, and so on.

Total Application Acreage cannot exceed 3,000 acres per application. However, the IDOA reserves the right to establish and implement a lower acreage cap if needed to accommodate at least one application per county.

Do I sign up for this program through the USDA-NRCS or USDA-FSA offices?

No, this program is set up independent from traditional federal programs administered through the USDA-NRCS or USDA-FSA offices. If you need assistance in applying for this program, please consult your local SWCD office staff or the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Bureau of Land and Water Resources at 217-782-6297.

What happens if my operation changes or control of land is lost?

Applicants should consider the terms of the program, their operational needs and crop rotation, and whether land control may be an issue. If an issue should arise, the Department will review on a case-by-case basis. A recovery of cost may be incurred by the applicant.

How will payments be made?

The local SWCD assigned to the applicant will provide the payment to the applicant.

Can I stack acres with other Carbon Programs?

No, unless the carbon program can prove it is not supported by federal or state funds.