Farmers and ranchers with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts may re-enroll in certain CRP continuous signup practices or, if eligible, select a one-year contract extension.
USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA) also is accepting offers from those who want to enroll for the first time in one of the countrys largest conservation programs.
The CRP signup session runs through Aug. 23, according to a USDA press release.
The Farm Service Agency stopped accepting offers last fall for the CRP continuous signup when 2014 Farm Bill authority expired. The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized the program this past December, and FSA has carefully analyzed the bills language and determined that a limited signup prioritizing water-quality practices furthers conservation goals and makes sense for producers while FSA works to fully implement the program.
This years CRP continuous signup includes such practices as grass waterways, filter strips, riparian buffers, wetland restoration and others.
Continuous signup enrollment contracts last for 10 to 15 years
Producers with Expiring CRP Contracts
Letters are in the mail to all producers with expiring CRP contracts, describing possible options.
A one-year extension is being offered to those with expiring CRP contracts of 14 years or less that have practices not eligible for re-enrollment under this CRP signup.
Alternatively, producers with expiring contracts may have the option to enroll in the Transition Incentives Program, which provides two additional annual rental payments on the condition the land is sold or rented to a beginning farmer or rancher or a member of a socially disadvantaged group.
CRP Continuous CREP Signup
This signup also enables producers to sign up under existing Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) agreements. CREP targets high-priority conservation concerns identified by a state, and federal funds are supplemented with non-federal funds to address those concerns.
Other Future CRP Signup Options
FSA is still planning a CRP general signup in December, with a CRP Grasslands signup to follow. Those who extend their contracts may be eligible for one of these signup types or another continuous signup in the future.
Iolas FSA office is in the USDA Service Center, 202 W. Miller Rd. Additional information is available at www.farmers.gov and at www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.
