Farming in the last frontier took on a new meaning from 1978-1982. The flurry to produce crops led to clearing 75,200 acres of spruce in Alaska's Delta farming area. Most of the soil here in the east central part of the state is highly erodible. Farms were losing excessive topsoil through wind erosion. But they have reversed the trend by enrolling 28,000 acres in 58 CRP contracts.

CRP is not only conserving enrolled fields, it benefits adjacent land by breaking up large open tracts. Filter strips that trap wind-driven snow increase moisture levels and help maintain CRP covers. In the diverse plant life of grasses and small willow brush, wildlife is now thriving, including the once endangered Peregrine Falcon.

Conservationists were once alarmed by the huge amount of silt carried into the area's Clearwater Bog by flooding and spring runoff. The bog is the source of the Clearwater River, a prime salmon spawning and world-class grayling fishing river. CRP grass planted around the bog's perimeter now traps the silt, meaning cleaner water for fish and fishermen alike.

By helping farmers conserve soil, CRP is improving the sustainability of the Delta farming area's agriculture while maintaining its delicate ecosystem.