CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET December 2015

Conservation Reserve Program 49th General Enrollment Period

Environmental Benefits Index (EBI)

OVERVIEW

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will conduct 

a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general 

enrollment period from Dec. 1, 2015, through 

Feb. 26, 2016.

CRP is a federally-funded voluntary program 

that contracts with agricultural producers so that 

environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not 

farmed or ranched, but instead used for 

conservation benefits. CRP participants establish 

long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such 

as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) 

to control soil erosion, improve water quality and 

develop wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides 

participants with rental payments and cost-share 

assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 

15 years. Accepted contracts for the 49th CRP 

enrollment period will begin Oct. 1, 2016.

In its 30th year, CRP is authorized by the Food 

Security Act of 1985 and was reauthorized by the 

Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill). FSA 

administers CRP, while other USDA agencies and 

partners provide technical support. More detailed 

information on CRP is available in the FSA fact 

sheet, “Conservation Reserve Program 49th 

General Enrollment Period, Dec. 1, 2015, 

through Feb. 26, 2016.”

RANKING CRP OFFERS

FSA will rank offers submitted by landowners for 

the 49th CRP general enrollment period 

according to the Environmental Benefits Index 

(EBI). FSA collects data for each EBI factor based 

on the relative environmental benefits for the land 

offered. EBI rankings are unique for each tract of 

land offered for CRP. 

FSA assigns each offer a score based on the offer’s 

relative environmental factors. Each offer 

competes with all other offers. FSA determines 

the acceptability of the offer based on the ranking 

results.

For the 49th CRP general enrollment period, FSA 

will use the following EBI factors to assess the 

environmental benefits for the land offered, as 

follows:

• Wildlife habitat benefits resulting from covers 

on contract acres (N1);

• Water quality benefits from reduced erosion, 

runoff and leaching (N2);

• On-farm benefits from reduced erosion (N3);

• Benefits that will likely endure beyond the 

contract period (N4); 

• Air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion 

(N5) and;

• Cost (N6). 

N1 - WILDLIFE FACTOR: (10 TO 

100 POINTS) 

Factor N1 is an evaluation of the expected 

wildlife benefits of the offer and is comprised of 

three subfactors (N1a-c). The formula for N1 = 

N1a + N1b + N1c.

• N1a - Wildlife Habitat Cover Benefits 

(10 to 50 points)

This subfactor is an evaluation of the wildlife 

habitat cover offered. FSA assigns points for cover 

practice planting mixtures based on the potential 

value to wildlife within each state. FSA awards 

higher scores for cover types that are more 

beneficial to wildlife. Local USDA Service 

Centers have a list of approved planting mixes and 

the assigned point scores for each cover mix. Point 

scores are based on the weighted average score for 

cover mixes the producer selects. Native mixes of 

diverse species generally receive the highest point 

scores. Eligible cover practices under the N1a 

criteria are in Table 1.

(Producers should note that wildlife habitat 

cover selection is the most critical factor 

impacting wildlife benefits. Optimum cover 

types significantly increase the point score 

for this factor).
FACT SHEET

CRP 49th General Enrollment Period EBI December 2015

• N1b - Wildlife Enhancement (0, 5 or 

20 points)

This subfactor provides up to 20 points for actions 

producers take to enhance the wildlife benefits for 

the offered acres. Enhancement to the acres is 

necessary in order to receive the points. For 

example, to receive 20 points producers may offer 

to establish a minimum of 10 percent of the acres 

offered to pollinator habitat. Eligible practices 

under the N1b criteria are provided in Table 2.

• N1c - Wildlife Priority Zones (0 or 

30 points)

FSA consulted with farm, commodity, wildlife 

and environmental groups to develop high-priority 

wildlife areas that would benefit from being 

enrolled in CRP. For land located within this 

defined geographic area, points are awarded for 

planting cover mixes to benefit wildlife species. 

This subfactor provides 30 points if at least 

51 percent of the offered acres is located within 

the wildlife priority zone and the weighted average 

N1a score is greater than or equal to 40 points. 

N2 - WATER QUALITY BENEFITS FROM 

REDUCED EROSION, RUNOFF, AND 

LEACHING (0 TO 100 POINTS) 

One of CRP’s main goals is to reduce the amount 

of sediment, nutrients and pollutants that enter our 

nation’s waterways. Factor N2 is an evaluation of 

the potential impacts that CRP may have on both 

surface and groundwater quality. N2 is comprised 

of three subfactors (N2a-c). The formula for N2 = 

N2a + N2b + N2c.

• N2a - Location (0 or 30 points) 

This subfactor is an evaluation of the benefits of 

improving ground or surface water quality 

impaired by crop production. States have 

identified water quality zones for protection. At 

least 51 percent of the acres offered must be within 

an approved water quality zone to receive 

30 points. Local USDA Service Centers have 

detailed maps of the approved water quality zones.

• N2b - Groundwater quality (0 to 

25 points)

This subfactor is an evaluation of the predominant 

soils, the potential leaching of pesticides and 

nutrients into groundwater, and the impact to 

people who rely on groundwater as a primary 

source of drinking water. Point scores are based on 

the weighted average leach index for soils offered 

for enrollment and the population that utilizes 

groundwater for drinking.

• N2c - Surface water quality (0 to 

45 points)

This subfactor is an evaluation of the amount of 

sediment (and associated nutrients) that may be 

delivered into streams or other water courses. This 

factor is determined by potential water erosion in 

the watershed in which the offer is located.

N3 - EROSION FACTOR (0 TO 

100 POINTS) 

CRP helps maintain the long-term productivity 

of the land for future generations. Factor N3 is an 

evaluation of the potential for the land to erode 

as the result of either wind or water erosion. This 

factor is measured using an Erodibility Index (EI). 

FSA awards points for the weighted average of the 

higher value of either the wind or water EI, based 

on the results from Table 3.

N4 - ENDURING BENEFITS FACTOR

(0 TO 50 POINTS) 

Factor N4 is an evaluation of the likelihood for 

certain practices to remain in place beyond the 

CRP contract period. N4 values are determined 

by calculating the weighted average score for all 

practices in Table 4.

N5 - AIR QUALITY BENEFITS FROM 

REDUCED WIND EROSION (3 TO 

45 POINTS) 

Factor N5 is an evaluation of the air quality 

improvements by reducing airborne dust and 

particulate caused by wind erosion from cropland. 

In addition, this factor has points for the value of 

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CRP land that provides carbon sequestration. This 

factor is comprised of four subfactors (N5a-d). The 

formula for N5 = N5a + N5b + N5c +N5d.

• N5a - Wind Erosion Impacts (0 to 

25 points)

FSA will determine the potential for the site to 

have wind erosion damage. FSA will award points 

based on potential wind erosion and the amount of 

population that may be impacted by the erosion. 

The potential wind erodibility is based on a 

climatic factor (wind speed, wind direction and 

duration of wind events) and soil erodibility.

• N5b - Wind Erosion Soils List (0 or 

5 points) 

A list of soils that are susceptible to wind and 

contribute significantly to nonattainment of air 

quality standards has been developed. These soils 

have a dominant component of volcanic or organic 

materials that are highly erodible and can be 

transported great distances on the wind. If at least 

51 percent of the offered acres are comprised of 

these soils, the offer is awarded five points.

• N5c - Air Quality Zones (0 or 5 points) 

FSA awards a maximum of five points if at least 

51 percent of the acres offered is located in an air 

quality zone that contributes to nonattainment of 

air quality standards and the calculated weighted 

wind EI is equal to or greater than three.

• N5d - Carbon Sequestration (3 to 

10 points)

The subfactor is an evaluation of the benefits of 

sequestering greenhouse gases by practice over the 

expected life of the practice. FSA awards points 

based on a weighted average of carbon 

sequestration benefits for all practices using the 

value in Table 5.

N6 - COST

Factor N6 is designed to optimize the 

environmental benefits per dollar for CRP rental 

payments. Factor N6 is comprised of two 

subfactors (N6a and N6b). The formula for N6 = 

N6a + N6b.

• N6a - Cost (point value determined after 

end of enrollment based on actual offer 

data) 

Offers with lower per acre rental rates may receive 

more N6a points and have increased chances of 

being accepted.

• N6b - Offer Less Than Maximum 

Payment Rate (0 to 25 points)

Offers equal to the maximum payment rate will 

receive 0 points. Offers below the maximum 

payment rate will receive points according to the 

value in Table 6.

EBI THRESHOLD FOR ACCEPTANCE

After the 49th CRP general enrollment period ends 

Feb. 26, 2016, FSA will analyze and rank all 

eligible offers. The Secretary of Agriculture will 

then determine the EBI threshold used to accept 

offers. Because CRP is a highly competitive 

program, producers who would have met EBI 

during previous enrollment periods are not 

guaranteed an offer acceptance under the 49th CRP 

general enrollment period.

MAKING CRP OFFERS MORE 

COMPETITIVE

Beginning FY 2017, maximum CRP enrollment 

authority is 24 million acres. As such, the demand 

to enroll land in CRP is expected to be greater than 

the amount that FSA can accept.

To make offers more competitive, producers should 

consider the following:

• The single most important producer decision 

involves determining which cover practice 

to apply to the acres offered. Planting or 

establishing the highest scoring cover mixture 

is the best way to improve the chances of offer 

acceptance.

FACT SHEET

CRP 49th General Enrollment Period EBI December 2015

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FACT SHEET

CRP 49th General Enrollment Period EBI December 2015

• Producers should only offer the most 

environmentally sensitive land. Where 

possible, subdividing fields to include only the 

most sensitive acres can substantially increase 

the point score for erosion and improve the 

water quality score and/or air quality score. 

Producers should consider enhancing

covers for the benefit of wildlife or establishing 

pollinator habitat. In addition, producers may 

plant and manage hardwood or softwood trees 

that increase wildlife habitat values or restore 

certain rare and declining habitats. These 

potentially increase the EBI score in subfactors 

N1a and N4. 

• Producers should consider accepting a lower 

payment rate than the maximum amount FSA 

is willing to offer.

FSA also encourages producers to consult with 

local USDA experts on steps to take to maximize 

EBI points and increase the likelihood that an offer 

will be accepted.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; 

other restrictions may apply. Consult your local 

FSA office for details. For more information on 

CRP, visit FSA’s CRP website at 

www.fsa.usda.gov/crp or contact a local FSA 

office. To find your local FSA office, visit

http://offices.usda.gov.

_________________________________________

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, 

religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s 

income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not 

all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication 

of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary 

for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-

9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 

(English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federalrelay). 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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FACT SHEET

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FACT SHEET

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FACT SHEET

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FACT SHEET

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