Farmers, ranchers and private landowners can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup through April 7, 2023.

CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“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,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. “CRP has and continues to be a great fit for farmers with less productive or marginal cropland, helping them re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. 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.”

Farmers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP through signups in 2022, building on the acceptance of more than 3.1 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history.

There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, with 1.9 million set to expire this year.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is aiming to reach the 27-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2023.

General CRP
General CRP helps farmers, ranchers 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. General CRP also includes a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to help increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping farmers, ranchers and landowners establish trees and permanent grasses, enhance wildlife habitat and restore wetlands.

Continuous CRP
Under Continuous CRP, farmers, ranchers and landowners can enroll in CRP throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the farmer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. The Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is also available in the Continuous signup.

FSA offers several additional enrollment opportunities within Continuous CRP, including:

  • the Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers Initiative (CLEAR30),
  • the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative,
  • the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP) and
  • the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

The CLEAR30 Initiative, which was originally piloted in 12 states in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watershed, has been expanded nationwide, allowing farmers and landowners to enroll in 30-year CRP contracts for water quality practices.

FSA also moved SAFE practices back to the Continuous CRP signup, giving farmers, ranchers and landowners more opportunities to participate in the initiative. Through the FWP, farmers and landowners can enroll land in CRP as part of their efforts to restore previously farmed wetlands and wetland buffers, to improve both vegetation and water flow.

Changes have also been made to CREP, which leverages federal and non-federal funds to target specific state, regional or nationally significant conservation concerns. Specifically, USDA made improvements to CREP to reduce barriers and make the program more accessible to a broad range of producers and new types of partners. These updates included flexibility for partners to provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions or technical assistance, along with an investment in additional staff to work directly with partners.

Grassland CRP
FSA will announce the dates for Grassland CRP signup in the coming weeks. 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.

How to sign up
Farmers, ranchers and landowners interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before their deadlines.

Those with expiring CRP acres can use the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), which incentivizes farmers, ranchers and landowners who sell or enter a long-term lease with a beginning, veteran or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who plans to sustainably farm or ranch the land.

More information
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.