Signups for the General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will open on February 27. Agricultural producers and private landowners will be able to apply through April 7. Offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), CRP provides opportunities for agriculture to invest in long-term conservation approaches. Last year, more than five million acres were enrolled into the program through signups.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set a goal of reaching the 27-million-acre cap that has been statutorily set for fiscal year 2023. There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in the program. Nearly two million acres are scheduled to expire this year.
Through the program, producers can establish approved grasses or trees to help control erosion and improve water quality. General CRP also includes a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive. The incentive helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration by establishing trees and permanent grasses. An announcement for Grassland CRP signups will be made in the coming weeks. That program helps with the protection of grasslands such as rangeland and pastureland, while keeping the areas as working grazing lands.
“The Conservation Reserve Program is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, offering a range of conservation options to farmers, ranchers and landowners,” FSA State Executive Director in California Blong Xiong said in a press release. “Under this administration, we have made several updates to the program to increase producer interest and enrollment, strengthen the climate benefits of the program and help ensure underserved producers can find a pathway to entry into CRP.”
Ag producers and landowners are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more about program opportunities. For producers that have expiring CRP acres, the Transition Incentives Program (TIP) is available. TIP incentivizes producers to work with beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with plans of sustainable production.
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