USDA
Announces Conservation Reserve Program Signups for 2022
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[February 01, 2022]
Agricultural producers and landowners
can sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a
cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration
effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource
benefits. The General CRP signup will run from January 31 to March
11, and the Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 to May 13.
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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 FSA is aiming to reach the
25.5-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2022.
CRP Signups
General CRP helps 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.
Alongside these programs, producers and landowners can enroll
acres in Continuous CRP under the ongoing sign up, which
includes projects available through the Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP) and State Acres for Wildlife
Enhancement (SAFE).
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Climate Benefits
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 Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is annual, and
the amount is based on the benefits of each practice type.
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Additionally, in order to better target the program
toward climate outcomes, USDA invested $10 million last year in the
CRP Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) 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.
More Information on CRP
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. Service Center staff continue to
work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital
tools. Due to the pandemic, some USDA Service 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.
[Illinois Farm Service Agency]
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