Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment Opening

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through March 20, 2026. Enrollment for General CRP will run from March 9 through April 17, 2026. CRP provides financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10 to 15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and support wildlife habitat. Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP, including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover. General CRP offers, in contrast, are submitted through a competitive bid process. “We’re still very close to the 27-million-acre statutory cap with 1.9 million acres available for all CRP enrollments this fiscal year so enrollment is likely to be competitive,” USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce said.