The USDA is accepting offers for nearly 2.7 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grassland sign-up. This program allows producers and landowners to continue grazing and haying practices while protecting grasslands and furthering CRP conservation efforts. Grassland CRP is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader effort to address climate change and conserve natural resources. This year’s sign-up results include 325,443 acres in South Dakota.

“This year’s Grassland CRP sign-up demonstrates the continued success and value of investments in voluntary, producer-led, working lands conservation programs,” said Steve Dick, state executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in South Dakota. “Grassland CRP clearly demonstrates that conservation priorities and agricultural productivity not only have the capacity to coexist but also complement and enhance one another. Through all our working land conservation programs, farmers and ranchers play a critical role in helping secure the future of both our food production and our natural resources.”

Additionally, the USDA has accepted more than 1 million acres through the general CRP sign-up nationwide, and more than 465,800 acres have been submitted through the continuous CRP sign-up so far this year.

Grassland CRP leverages working lands practices to improve biodiversity and conserve environmentally sensitive land. To target conservation in key geographies, the USDA prioritizes land within two national priority zones: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Dust Bowl area. The FSA accepted more than 911,000 acres in these two zones. Land enrolled in these zones will contribute to broader USDA conservation efforts through Working Lands for Wildlife by conserving working grasslands and other lands that underpin iconic big game migrations.

Grasslands enrolled in CRP help sequester carbon in vegetation and soil while enhancing resilience to drought and wildfire. Meanwhile, producers can still conduct common grazing practices, such as haying, mowing or harvesting seed from the enrolled land, which supports agricultural production.

Broadening reach of program

As part of the agency’s Justice40 efforts, producers and landowners who are historically underserved – including beginning farmers, limited resource producers and military veterans – received 20 additional ranking points to enhance their offers. From more than 6,400 underserved producers, the USDA accepted offers of more than 1.8 million acres, about 74% of those who submitted applications.

Additionally, the USDA is working to broaden the scope and reach of Grassland CRP by leveraging the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to engage underserved communities. The CREP is a partnership program that enables states, tribal governments and nonprofit entities to partner with the FSA to implement CRP practices and address high-priority conservation and environmental objectives. Interested entities are encouraged to contact the FSA.

Producers can still make an offer to participate in CRP through the continuous CRP sign-up, which is ongoing, by contacting the FSA at their local USDA Service Center.

To learn more, visit the USDA website.

—From a USDA news release3