Conservation Reserve Program

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Expansion and Renewal of Conservation Reserve Program

USDA is updating the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to have 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. 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 about these updates, read the April 21, 2021 news release and the May 25, 2021 news release, or download the “What’s New with CRP” fact sheet.

FSA is currently taking applications for both the CRP general and continuous signups. The CRP general signup opened Jan. 4, and a deadline has not been set. FSA is also accepting applications for the Soil Health and Income Protection Program through July 16, 2021 and proposals for the CRP Climate Change Mitigation Assessment Initiative through July 2, 2021. FSA will announce additional details soon on signups for CRP Grasslands, and Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers 30-year contracts.

Producers interested in enrolling in CRP should contact the FSA office at their local USDA Service Center. Organizations interested in the CRP Climate Change Mitigation Assessment Initiative should visit FSA’s Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation projects page for more information on requirements, project deliverables, evaluation criteria, and how to submit your proposal.

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.