State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia, Terrance O. Rudolph has extended the recently announced sign-ups for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program’s (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) that utilize funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These signups that utilize IRA funding to provide direct climate mitigation benefits and expand access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation …
Vilsack on Losing CRP Acres
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that they are accepting just over two million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup. But, as Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack explains, more land is leaving the CRP than is going in. Offers for new land into General CRP were considerably lower than last year’s numbers, with …
USDA Accepts 2 Million Acres in Offers Through Conservation Reserve Program General Signup
(WASHINGTON, May 3, 2022) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting more than 2 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and landowners through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup, the first of the program’s multiple signups occurring in 2022. With about 3.4 million acres expiring this year, Vilsack encourages producers and landowners …
USDA Accepting New or Modified Proposals for Its State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Program
(USDA/WASHINGTON/April 18, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is welcoming new and modified proposals from conservation partners for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) focused on effectively managing wildlife habitat. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has expanded available practices under this initiative in response to feedback from partners. “We …
USDA Launches First Phase of Soil Carbon Monitoring Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they will invest?$10?million?in?a new initiative to sample, measure, and monitor soil carbon on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. The investment seeks to better quantify the climate outcomes of the program. USDA says CRP is an important tool in the Nation’s fight to reduce the worst impacts of climate change facing our farmers, …
Climate-Smart Agriculture through CRP
Back in May, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. The multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to …
USDA Accepts 2.8 Million Acres for the CRP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they’ve accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) this year. That brings the total accepted this year to almost 1.9 million acres through the General CRP Signup. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says they have also accepted over …
USDA Announces Dates for CRP Grasslands Signups
Signup has opened for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones. The CRP Grassland signup is competitive, and USDA’s …
USDA Announces New Initiative to Quantify Climate Benefits of CRP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. The multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart …
CSP Application Deadline in Florida is Friday
Here’s a reminder from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida that the deadline to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is Friday, March 26. While applications are accepted year-round, those interested in CSP need to submit applications to their local NRCS office by the deadline to ensure they are considered for 2021 funding. Through CSP, NRCS helps agricultural producers and forest landowners …