Agricultural producers and landowners may soon sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program, which is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The program is a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits, according to a news release from the USDA.
The general CRP signup will run through March 11, while the Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 to May 13.
Producers and landowners enrolled 4.6 million acres into CRP signups in 2021, including 2.5 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 22.1 million acres enrolled, and Farm Service Agency is aiming to reach the 25.5 million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2022.
General CRP is designed to help producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees; to control soil erosion; improve water quality; and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland.
Meanwhile, Grassland CRP is a working lands program helping landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as working grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations and provides important carbon sequestration benefits to deliver lasting climate outcomes, according to the USDA.
Alongside these programs, producers and landowners can enroll acres in Continuous CRP under the ongoing signup, which includes projects available through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement.
Last year, FSA enacted a climate-smart practice incentive for CRP General and Continuous signups to better target CRP on addressing climate change. This incentive aims to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CRP’s climate-smart practices include establishment of trees and permanent grasses, development of wildlife habitat and wetland restoration. The incentive is annual, and the amount is based on the benefits of each practice type.
Additionally, to better target the program toward climate outcomes, the USDA invested $10 million last year in the CRP monitoring, assessment and evaluation program to measure and monitor the soil carbon and climate resilience impacts of conservation practices over the life of new CRP contracts. This will enable the agency to further refine the program and practices to provide producers tools for increased climate resilience.
Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program for General CRP before the March 11 deadline and for Grassland CRP before the May 13 deadline.
The telephone number for the USDA Jackson County Service Center in Brownstown is 812-358-2367.
Service center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some centers are open to limited visitors. Additionally, fact sheets and other resources are available at fsa.usda.gov/crp.
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
To learn more, visit usda.gov.