Wisconsin Ag Connection - FSA: Over 3.4 Million Acres Selected for CRP Sign-up

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FSA: Over 3.4 Million Acres Selected for CRP Sign-up
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 04/01/2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the acceptance of more than 3.4 million acres in the general Conservation Reserve Program signup recently completed--the first general signup enrollments since 2016. As a result, county offices will begin notifying producers with accepted offers no later than April 3, according to Wisconsin Farm Service Agency Director Sandy Chalmers.

"The Conservation Reserve Program is one of our nation's largest conservation endeavors and is critical in helping producers better manage their operations while conserving valuable natural resources," Chalmers said. "The program marked its 35th anniversary this year, and we were quite pleased to see one of our largest signups in many years."

Through CRP, farmers and ranchers receive an annual rental payment for establishing 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. Farmers and ranchers who participate in CRP help provide numerous benefits to the nation's environment and economy.

This general signup included offers for State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, which allows producers to install practices that benefit high-priority, locally developed wildlife conservation objectives using targeted restoration of vital habitat. Over 95 percent of SAFE offers submitted were accepted under this general signup representing more than 487,500 acres.

While the deadline for general CRP signup was February 28, sign-ups for continuous CRP, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, CRP Grasslands and the Soil Health and Income Protection Program are ongoing.

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