The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program of the Farm Services Agency (FSA) for agricultural landowners. Through CRP, landowners can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. Producers enrolled in CRP remove lands from agricultural production and plant native grasses, trees, and other vegetation to improve water quality, soil, and wildlife habitat.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) makes annual rental payments based on the agriculture rental value of the land, and it provides cost-share assistance for up to 50 percent of the participant’s costs in establishing approved conservation practices.  Participants enroll in CRP contracts for 10 to 15 years.  

The program is administered by the CCC through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), an agency within the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and program support is provided by Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cooperative State Research and Education Extension Service (CSREES), state forestry agencies, and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) cost-shares tree planting and grass establishment on highly erodible land and pays landowners an annual rental payment for up to 15 years. There is also a continuous sign-up for highly sensitive environmental areas such as riparian areas adjacent to streams and creek and bottomland areas.

Signup periods are numbered and signup 36 is the current signup period. As of January 2008 Iowa had 105,915 CRP contracts and 1,833,673 acres enrolled in total CRP.

CRP Enrollment Maps