The CRP is a voluntary program that offers rental payments, incentive payments for certain activities, and cost-share assistance to establish approved vegetative cover on eligible cropland. The program encourages landusers to plant long term vegetative covers to improve soil, water and wildlife resources. A variety of vegetative covers have been approved for plantings, including cool season grasses and legumes, warm season grasses and forbs, trees and shrubs. Wetland restoration is also offered as another practice. Contract lengths vary from 10 to 15 years, depending upon the practice and/or landusers goals.
Certain special practices, usually involving small acreages, are eligible for CRP under the continuous sign-up period. These practices include filter strips, riparian buffer strips, field windbreaks, shelterbelts, and shallow water areas for wildlife. Applications for these practices may be made at any time. As long as the eligibility criteria are met, acceptance is automatic. Many financial incentives are currently offered for these continuous sign-up practices. Interested producers are encouraged to take a long look at the practices and incentives currently being offered under the continuous sign-up period. As of December 31, there were 6,210.1 county acres enrolled under continuous sign-up, included within 866 contracts.
All other eligible cropland acreage, usually involving whole fields or larger acreages, may be offered under the CRP general sign-up period. Unlike continuous sign-up, general sign-up periods are only offered during sporadic, established sign-up periods. The last general sign-up period was in spring of 2006. It is not known when another general sign-up period might occur. Common practices offered during general sign-up periods include warm season grass-forbs seedings, tree plantings, wildlife plantings, and wetland restoration. Unlike continuous sign-up period applications, any applications submitted during a general sign-up period are ranked on a competitive basis (based on environmental benefits) and normally not offered for general sign-up period practices. As of December 31, there were 910,600.4 acres enrolled under general sign-up, included within 497 contracts.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is responsible for administering the CRP. Further details may be obtained by contacting the local FSA office at 219-772-3066, Extension 2.
