Do you have environmentally sensitive land? If so, have you ever thought about devoting it to a certain conservation practice through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)?
CRP participants determine long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to manage soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Typical contract duration is anywhere between 10 and 15 years.
There are certain eligibility requirements that still apply, but offers are not subject to competitive bidding. For example, to be eligible, you must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months prior to submitting the offer for continuous or 12 months before the close of general or grasslands signup. For eligible cropland, land must be planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity for four of six crop years, and that is physically and legally capable of being planted.
Factors taken into consideration during the application process by FSA are:
- wildlife habitat benefits resulting from covers on contract acres
- water quality benefits from reduced erosion, runoff, and leaching
- on-farm benefits from reduced erosion
- benefits that will likely endure beyond the contract period
- air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion
- cost
If you are interested in enrolling in CRP, be sure to signup during the FSA’s annual enrollment periods.
More information can be found on:
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program
