Our first piece enrolled was a pilot project, we have a very active NRCS here. The five year enrollment is confusing, in addition it can not be reenrolled. Kinda odd. Our first patch I didn’t see any seeding requirements so I put down some native grass thinking at the end of the 5 years it might go into CRP, if it didn’t I would use it as summer hay.
It got inspected the second year and the person showed me the requirement that it be seeded to cool season grasses, which was odd but it did specific that. So I went out with a no till drill and put in some orchard grass and that satisfied them. I think it was because of the short enrollment time.
Subsequent projects require native grasses. Five years is kind of a waste for native seedings when alfalfa/orchardgass will supply nearly the wildlife benefits. Mature alfalfa is good winter cover, lots of food also.
As a kid ditch hunting after school sweet clover patches were always productive, excellent cover. The DNR hates it however.
Regarding the web site : I see they haven’t scrubbed the “Historically Underserved” mention. The program is probably going to get the axe. I was surprised this one got in. If it was widely adopted it would have a positive effect on water quality.