CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) Program Description

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a USDA initiative that pays agricultural producers to remove environmentally sensitive land from production to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce wildlife habitat loss. The program includes various initiatives such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the Farmable Wetland Program, with specific acreage caps ranging from 24 million to 27 million acres between 2019 and 2023. In 2021, the USDA highlighted the program's climate impact, estimating a reduction of 12 million metric tons of CO2e per year, and introduced incentives to further increase enrollment and mitigation potential.

• The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to reestablish land cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce wildlife habitat loss by paying producers to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production.
• In April 2021, the USDA estimated that land enrolled in the CRP reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually.
• To enhance climate change mitigation, the USDA introduced new climate-friendly incentives and increased payment rates in April 2021, targeting an enrollment increase of four million acres to reduce emissions by an additional three million metric tons of CO2e per year.
• The USDA established a $10 million initiative specifically to monitor and measure the climate benefits derived from the CRP.
• The 2018 Farm Bill established specific annual acreage limits for CRP enrollment: 24 million acres in FY 2019, 24.5 million in FY 2020, 25 million in FY 2021, 25.5 million in FY 2022, and 27 million in FY 2023.
• Eligible land for the program includes highly erodible cropland, marginal pasture land near riparian areas, and grasslands that provide habitat for ecologically significant animal and plant populations.
• The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) allows the Secretary to partner with States, Indian tribes, or nongovernmental organizations to address specific conservation concerns through matching funds and cost-share payments.
• The Farmable Wetland Program allows for the enrollment of wetlands and constructed wetlands, with a total acreage limit of 750,000 acres and a maximum of 100,000 acres per State.
• The CLEAR 30 pilot program offers 30-year conservation contracts for land that was previously subject to expired contracts under the clean lakes, estuaries, and rivers priority.
• The Soil Health and Income Protection Program (SHIPP) is a voluntary pilot program for less-productive cropland in the prairie pothole region, with a total enrollment limit of 50,000 acres.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2023). CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) Program Description. https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Conservation-Reserve-Program-CRP.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) Program Description. 2023. https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Conservation-Reserve-Program-CRP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) Program Description |date=31 July 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Conservation-Reserve-Program-CRP.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2023conservation, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) Program Description}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Conservation-Reserve-Program-CRP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }