Agricultural News
USDA Announces Sign-Up Date for Highly Erodible Land Initiative under the Conservation Reserve Program
Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:30:51 CDT
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin sign-up for the Highly Erodible Land Initiative under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on July 23, 2012. The purpose of this initiative, announced by Secretary Vilsack in February, is to protect up to 750,000 acres of the nation's most highly erodible croplands. Producers may enroll at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office. Enrollment will continue until the 750,000 acre limit has been met.
"CRP is an important program with more than 25 years of success in protecting the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation," said Vilsack. "We are excited to include this new initiative that targets the most fragile cropland, in addition to other targeted initiatives that are currently available under the CRP."
CRP is a voluntary program designed to help farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers protect their environmentally sensitive land. Currently, 29.6 million acres are enrolled in CRP. Through this Highly Erodible Land Initiative, eligible landowners receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible cropland for a period of 10 years. Croplands with an erodibility Index of 20 or greater are eligible for enrollment.
In March, Secretary Vilsack announced an increase of 1 million acres of land in a new CRP Initiative to Restore Grasslands, Wetlands and Wildlife. On June 12, a portion of the 1 million acres available for the initiative were allocated. Initiatives receiving acres are: Wetland Restoration, 200,000 acres; Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds (Quail), 150,000 acres; Duck Nesting Habitat, 150,000 acres; and Pollinator Habitat, 100,000 acres. Sign-up for the Pollinator Habitat initiative began on June 12 as part of the continuous sign-up criteria.
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