The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands is part of the CRP program, a federally funded voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits. FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 14 and 15 years. CRP Grasslands helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, and pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands.

The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion. CRP Grasslands is reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill. The sign-up period for CRP Grasslands in 2020 runs from March 16, 2020 to May 15, 2020.

For more information:

• December 5, 2019 news release
• CRP fact sheet
• CRP Grasslands Signup Factsheet
• CRP Grasslands Signup Ranking Factors

More information will be available once the CRP Grasslands signup opens.