Conservation Reserve Program

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About the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

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.

Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation program in the United States. Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers and landowners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species.

Producers interested in enrolling in CRP should contact the FSA office at their local USDA Service Center.

CRP Signup Deadlines

July 16: Soil Health and Income Protection Program

July 23: CRP General Signup

August 6: Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers Initiative 30-year Contracts

August 20: CRP Grasslands

Ongoing: CRP Continuous

Updates to CRP

The Conservation Reserve Program now offers higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. USDA’s goal is to enroll up to 4 million new acres in CRP by raising rental payment rates and expanding the number of incentivized environmental practices allowed under the program. To learn more about updates to CRP, read our “What’s New with CRP” fact sheet or our April 21, 2021 news release.

CRP and Climate Mitigation

Through the CRP Climate Change Mitigation Assessment Initiative, FSA will further quantify program benefits to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools.

To learn more, read the May 25, 2021 news release or visit our page on CRP Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation projects.