CRP is a land conservation program administered by FSA. In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.
Under continuous CRP signup, environmentally sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices can be enrolled in CRP at any time. Offers are automatically accepted provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. Unlike CRP enrollments under General CRP signups or Grassland CRP, offers for Continuous CRP are not subject to competitive bidding during specific periods.
Enrollment Opportunities
Continuous CRP enrollment options include:
- Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.
- CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.
- Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI): Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.
- State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative (SAFE): Restores vital habitat to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.
For more information, view the fact sheets below.
Important Dates
FSA will batch Continuous CRP offers submitted by interested agricultural producers and landowners. Offers to re-enroll expiring CRP continuous acreage will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. New acreage offered in continuous CRP practices will be considered for acceptance on a first-come, first-serve basis if they support USDA conservation priorities including but not limited to practices that address water quality, such as filter strips and grass waterways, and practices that restore native ecosystems or target specific resource concerns.
The first Continuous CRP batching period runs from Feb. 12, 2026, through March 20, 2026.
Acceptance of continuous offers will be subject to the availability of acres and USDA conservation priorities. As a result, FSA cannot guarantee acceptance of offers.
Additional Resources:
- CRP Fact Sheet
- CRP General Signup Fact Sheet
- CRP General EBI Fact Sheet
- CRP Continuous Signup Fact Sheet
- CRP State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative Fact Sheet
- CRP Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative Fact Sheet
- CLEAR30 Fact Sheet
- HELI Fact Sheet
- CRP Grasslands Fact Sheet
- CREP Fact Sheet