Reviewing Trends in Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment

By Cameron Castillo and Cydney Stables

Key Takeaways

• USDA voluntary and incentive-based conservation practices are widely used by America’s farmers and ranchers. They have proven to be an effective tool for contributing long-lasting benefits to soil, water and wildlife habitat resources while helping farmers and ranchers diversify their income streams.

• CRP has an annual enrollment cap of 27 million acres, as established in the 2018 farm bill. USDA accepted 2.2 million acres in Conservation Reserve Program enrollment for 2026, expanding the reach of this voluntary land retirement conservation program in its 41st year.  

• Grasslands CRP, which allows haying and grazing on CRP land, has become the most widely used CRP contract category within recent years.

• Farmers have employed conservation practices (now widely recognized as part of regenerative agriculture) for decades. In 2023 alone, farmers and ranchers enrolled nearly 70 million acres in conservation practices now categorized as regenerative.

USDA’s Largest Conservation Program

For more than 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)has remained the largest voluntary private lands conservation program in the U.S. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) under the guidelines set forth in Title II of the farm bill, CRP aims to protect natural resources while providing economic benefits to farmers and ranchers. Through annual rental payments, the program encourages farmers to idle agricultural lands from production. Additionally, the program incentivizes the use of plant vegetation practices (intentionally planting or restoring native plant communities on land that has been taken out of crop production) to improve water quality, prevent erosion and restore natural wildlife habitat. CRP offers contracts between 10 to 15 years in length, paying landowners annually. The use of CRP contracts provides a diversified income stream for farmers and ranchers. 

FSA offers three variations of CRP contracts: General, Grasslands and Continuous CRP. Each contract category focuses on various practices, including but not limited toestablishing native grasses, implementing riparian buffers, wetland restoration and the development of sustainable grazing methods. Key differences across these contracts include enrollment period, land focus and required conservation practices.