Food Security Act of 1985, Title XII, Public Law 99-198,
as amended; Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, Public Law
101-624; Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Public Law
104-127.
To protect the Nation's long-term capability to produce
food and fiber; to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, improve water
quality, and create a better habitat for wildlife.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Direct Payments for Specified Use. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Eligible owners or operators may place highly erodible
or other environmentally sensitive land into a 10-15 year contract. The
participant, in return for annual payments, agrees to implement a conservation
plan approved by the local conservation district for converting highly
erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive land to a long-term
resource conserving cover i.e., eligible land must be planted with a
vegetative cover, such as, perennial grasses, legumes, fobs, shrubs, or trees.
The participant agrees to reduce the aggregate total of allotments and quotas
by an amount based on the ratio of the total cropland acreage on each farm, to
the total acreage on each farm subject to the CRP contract. Financial and
technical assistance are available to participants to assist in the
establishment of a long- term resource conserving cover.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: An
individual, partnership, association, Indian Tribal ventures corporation,
estate, trust, other business enterprises or other legal entities and,
whenever applicable, a State, a political subdivision of a State, or any
agency thereof may submit an offer to enroll acreage.
Beneficiary Eligibility: If
their offer is accepted for enrollment, an individual, partnership,
association, Indian Tribal ventures, corporation, estate, trust, other
business enterprises or other legal entities and, whenever applicable, a
State, political subdivision of State, or any agency thereof may earn
benefits.
Credentials/Documentation:
The land must be owned or operated for not less than 12 months prior to the
close of the signup period, unless the land was acquired by will or succession
or FSA determines that ownership was not acquired for the purpose of placing
the land in the CRP. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular
No. A-87.
Pre-application Coordination:
An environmental impact assessment has been prepared for this program. This
program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102 and E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: FSA
has three methods for enrolling acreage in the CRP. One method is a continuous
signup process where acreage suitable for certain environmental priority
practices, including but not limited to grass waterways, riparian buffers or
filterstrips, and acreage within wellhead protection areas may be offered and
accepted without going through a competitive offer process. The second method
is similar to continuous signup and is available only in distinct geographic
areas. These areas are targeted by FSA and State governments under partnership
agreements. The third method is to offer acreage during a general signup
period where eligible offers to enroll highly erodible and other
environmentally sensitive acreage are submitted and ranked competitively based
on an environmental benefits index. Regardless of the method of enrollment,
the local FSA office that serves the area in which the farm or ranch is
located will provide the maximum payment rate CCC will accept to enroll
certain acreage in the program. Producers may submit a rental rate per acre
offered that may be equal to or less than CCC's maximum payment rate. This
program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular Nos. A-102 and A-110.
Award Procedure: FSA will
notify persons whose offers are determined acceptable as soon as practicable
after the close of the signup.
Deadlines: The offer must
be filed at the county FSA office by the end of the announced signup period.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
From 7 to 120 days.
Appeals: Producers may
appeal any determination to county FSA committee, State committee, or National
Appeals Division. Matters that are generally applicable to all producers are
not appealable.
Renewals: Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements:
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:
Annual rental payments in cash or generic commodity certificates will be made
for 10-15 years. If cost-share assistance to establish the appropriate cover
was requested, a payment will be made after the practice is successfully
established according to applicable guidelines. FSA may provide certain
incentives for restoring wetlands or other lands.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: None.
Audits: Recipients are
subject to audit by the Office of Inspector General, USDA.
Records: Maintained in
county FSA office and Federal Record centers for a specified number of years.
Currently, approximately 33.5 million acres are enrolled
in the CRP. Each contract covers an average of 74 acres with an average rental
rate of $45.95 per acre. This is based on the latest actual data.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Program is announced through news media and in letters
to agricultural producers in the county. Regulations published in the Federal
Register, 7 CFR part 1410.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office:
Consult the local telephone directory for location of the county FSA office,
under U.S. Government, U.S. Department of Agriculture. If no listing, contact
the appropriate State FSA office listed in the FSA section of Appendix IV of
the Catalog.
County FSA offices will provide producers the maximum
acceptable rental rate for the acreage offered. All offers submitted under a
general signup will be screened at both the local and national level to
determine the suitability of the acreage and acceptability of the rental rate
offered. In addition, offers will be evaluated in terms of cost for the
environmental benefits obtained. Acres accepted will be limited to the
Secretary's authority to maintain 36.4 million acres or less as determined by
the Secretary.
