Emphasizes conservation on working land by increasing funding for Environmental Quality Incentives Program and new Conservation Stewardship Program (successor to the Conservation Security Program). Reduces Conservation Reserve Program acreage cap to 32 million acres beginning on Oct 1, 2009. Continues emphasis on wetland restoration and farmland preservation with expansion of Wetland Reserve Program, Farmland Protection Program, and Grassland Reserve Program.

Conservation Programs: Authority to enroll new acres in conservation programs administered by the Farm Service Agency ended on September 30, 2012. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 authorizes the continuation of existing FSA conservation programs in fiscal year 2013.

FSA administers a variety of programs under the Conservation Reserve Program, which allows producers to enter into long-term contracts to receive annual rental payments for planting permanent vegetation on eligible farmland (including highly erodible, marginal pasture, and conservation priority areas). In addition to periodic general signups, producers may enroll their most environmentally sensitive land, if it meets eligibility requirements, under CRP's continuous signup. Producers may also enter into long-term contracts under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which are state and federal partnerships that provide payments for installing specific conservation practices. The dates producers may begin entering in contracts will be announced shortly.

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