USDA to Open Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment for 2025

By Lyndi Allen

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollments for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP now through June 6, 2025.

General CRP (Signup 64) 

Farmers and landowners can apply for General CRP during certain sign-up periods. It is a competitive process, meaning not everyone gets in; applications are ranked based on how environmentally beneficial the land is. Once all the applications are reviewed and scored, USDA will notify farmers if the offer has been accepted.

If accepted, yearly rental payments are given for taking land out of production. It may also qualify to cover the cost to plant grass, trees, and other long-term conservation cover.

Continuous CRP (Signup 63) 

Continuous CRP works differently from General CRP. There is no competition with other farmers; FSA accepts applications as they come in, starting now through June 6. But there is a cap on how many acres can be enrolled nationwide—27 million—so it may run out.

If there is still acreage available after June 6, FSA will keep taking offers through July 31, 2025. Those extra offers may be reviewed in groups and accepted based on how well they match USDA conservation goals.

Continuous CRP is meant for smaller, more environmentally sensitive areas like waterways, wetlands, riparian buffers, or varying wildlife habitats. If accepted, yearly payments will be sent to help cover the cost to plant long-term conservation cover like grass or trees.

Continuous CRP enrollment options include:  

• State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative : Restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals. 
• Highly Erodible Land Initiative : Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20. 
• Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative : Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.