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 USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) made several changes to CRP to
make it more appealing to all producers, including those who are
historically underserved, beginning, and veterans. FSA added
incentives to encourage producers to include climate-smart
agricultural practices in their operations to increase natural
resource and environmental benefits.
Updates to the Conservation Reserve Program
USDA’s goal is to enroll up to 4 million new CRP acres by
raising payment rates and expanding the incentives offered under
the program. CRP is capped at 25 million acres for fiscal year
2021, and currently 20.7 million acres are enrolled, but the cap
will gradually increase to 27 million acres by fiscal year 2023.
To help increase producer interest and enrollment, FSA has:
Adjusted soil rental rates. This enables additional
flexibility for rate adjustments, including a possible increase
in rates where appropriate.
Increased payments for Practice Incentives from 20% to 50%.
This incentive, for continuous CRP practices, is based on
the cost of establishment and is in addition to cost share
payments.
Increased payments for water quality practices. Incentive
increased from 10% to 20% for certain water quality practices
available through the CRP continuous signup, such as grassed
waterways, riparian buffers and filter strips. Additionally, to
mitigate climate change, FSA introduced a new annual
Climate-Smart Practice Incentive for the general, grasslands,
and continuous signups that aims to increase carbon
sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-Smart
CRP practices include establishing trees and permanent grasses,
developing wildlife habitat, and restoring wetlands. The
Climate-Smart Practice Incentive amount is based on the benefits
of each practice type.
More About CRP
Program successes include:
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands
conservation programs in the United States. It was originally
intended to control soil erosion and stabilize commodity prices
by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has
evolved over the years, providing more conservation and economic
benefits. CRP marked its 35-year anniversary in December 2020.
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CRP is one of the world’s largest voluntary
conservation programs with a long track record of preserving
topsoil, improving water quality, sequestering carbon, reducing
nitrogen runoff and preserving healthy wildlife habitat
Preventing more than 9 billion tons of soil from eroding, which is
enough soil to fill 600 million dump trucks.
Reducing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to annually tilled
cropland by 95% and 85% percent, respectively.
Creating more than 3 million acres of restored wetlands while
protecting more than 175,000 stream miles with riparian forest and
grass buffers, which is enough to go around the world seven times.
Benefiting bees and other pollinators and increasing populations of
ducks, pheasants, turkey, bobwhite quail, prairie chickens,
grasshopper sparrows and many other birds. Interested producers
should contact their local USDA Service Center. In addition to the
CRP General signup, FSA is also accepting applications for the CRP
Grasslands and CRP Continuous signups. Learn more at fsa.usda.gov/crp.
To find their local FSA county office, producers can visit
farmers.gov/service-center-locator. Service Center staff continue to
work with agricultural producers via phone, e-mail, and other
digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers
are open to limited visitors. Producers should contact their service
center to set up an in-person appointment. Additionally, more
information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can
be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
More Information
More information about the program can be obtained through this CRP
fact sheet.
[Farm Service Agency / Illinois FPAC]
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