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Ranking CRP Grassland Offers

FSA will rank offers for CRP grasslands using 

grassland ranking factors developed by the agency.

Rankings are unique for each tract of land offered.

FSA assigns each grasslands offer a point score based 

on the offer’s relative ranking factors, with each offer 

competing against all other offers.

FSA determines offer acceptability based on the 

ranking results.

For the current CRP grasslands batching FSA will 

use the following ranking factors to determine 

acceptability of the land offered:

• Existence of expiring CRP;

• Existing Grassland;

• Existing Multi-species cover and predominance 

of native species;

• State Focus Area (land-based) determined in 

consultation with State Technical Committee;

• Applicant is an eligible Beginning, Veteran or 

Socially Disadvantaged farmer or rancher;

• Cost;

• Existing Small Livestock Operation;

• Other factors as determined by FSA

Overview

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands is offering a

sign-up that began on March 16, 2020. Ranking factors 

have been updated from previous signups.

CRP Grasslands helps landowners and operators 

protect grassland, including rangeland, and 

pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining 

the areas as grazing lands. The program emphasizes 

support for grazing operations, plant and animal 

biodiversity, and eligible land containing shrubs and 

forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.

More information on CRP Grassland sign-up is 

available in the FSA fact sheet, “Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) - Grasslands.”

FACT SHEET

March 2020

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) -

GRASSLANDS 202 SIGN-UP

RANKING FACTORS
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CRP - GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 202 RANKING FACTORS - MARCH 2020

F3 Maximizing Grassland Preservation:

(0 to 35 points)

Factor F3 targets land under the greatest threat of 

conversion, using 3 sub factors. The formula for F3 = 

F3a + F3b + F3c.

• F3a – Threat of Conversion: 0, 2, 5, 7 or 10 

points

If over 50 percent of the offered acreage is in a county 

under threat of conversion as determined by FSA (0, 2, 

5, 7 or 10 points).

• F3b – Threat of Conversion GIS: 0 or 20 points

If over 50 percent of the offered acreage is in the threat 

of conversion GIS Layer, assign 20 points

(0 or 20 points).

• F3c – Longer Contract Length: 0 or 5 points

If the offer is for a 15-year contract, assign 5 points (0 

or 5 points).

F4 Vegetative Cover: (0 to 30 points)

This factor evaluates based on the covers on the acres 

offered. FSA or TSP shall only allow covers that are 

suitable for the site designated for the offer.

F4 values are determined by calculating the weighted 

average score for all practices in Table 1.

F5 Environmental Factors:

(0 to 30 points)

This factor is designed to help producers address 

acreages that are known to be in areas of designated 

candidate, threatened, or endangered species or critical 

habit. The formula for F5 = F5a + F5b.

F-1 Current and Future Use:

(0 - 30 Points)

Factor F1 encourages continued usage of the land and 

retains the benefits of expiring CRP land using 2 sub 

factors. The formula for F1 = F1a + F1b.

• F1a – Expiring CRP: (0 to 20 points)

This sub factor rewards owners who continue to 

maintain and use land that is currently in CRP general 

signup in an environmentally sustainable way. Keeping 

these areages in grass covers will help preserve a 

majority of the benefits established.

Assign 20 points if over 50 percent of the offered 

acreage is currently expiring general CRP in the last 

year of CCC CRP-1. If the offer has less than

50 percent of the offer, prorate the 20 points based on 

the percentage of the offer that is expiring CRP.

• F1b – CRP Cover: (0 or 10 points)

This factor provides additional points depending on the 

current CRP cover. Assign 10 points if over 50 percent 

of the offered acreages is currently CP2 or CP10. 

Otherwise, assign 0 points.

F2 Beginning, Socially 

Disadvantaged, Veteran Farmers and 

Ranchers: (0 to 10 points)

For this factor assign 10 points if at least 50 percent of 

the CRP-1 shares are earned by a producer(s) meeting 

the requirements of the CCC-860. Otherwise, assign 0 

points.

Beginning farmers that served as a member of the 

armed forces can also check the “Veterans” block on 

the CRP-2G.
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CRP - GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 202 RANKING FACTORS - MARCH 2020

• F7b – Offer Less Than Maximum Payment Rate 

(0 to 25 points)

Offers submitted with a rental rate equal to the 

maximum payment rate will receive 0 points. Offers 

submitted below the maximum payment rate will 

receive points according to the corresponding value in 

Table 2.

Ranking Factors Threshold for 

Acceptance

After the close of the CRP signup, FSA will rank all 

eligible offers based on their total point score for that 

offer. The Secretary of Agriculture will then determine 

the ranking point threshold used to accept offers for the 

signup.

Making CRP Grassland Offers More 

Competitive

Offer competition is expected to be significant and 

only CRP grassland offers ranking high enough to be 

accepted will move forward toward enrollment.

To make offers more competitive, producers should 

consider all the ranking factors as well as the existing 

cover for the acreage offered.

FSA also encourages producers to consult NRCS or 

authorized TSP regarding steps to take to maximize 

their offers ranking factor points to increase the 

likelihood that the offer will be accepted.

More Information

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; 

other restrictions may apply. To find more information 

about CRP Grasslands, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. 

For more details on FSA conservation programs, visit 

www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation or contact your 

local FSA office. To locate the nearest FSA office or 

USDA service center, visit http://offices.usda.gov. 

• F5a – Wildlife Priority Zones (0 or 15 points)

CRP grassland will use the existing State wildlife 

priority zones identified for CRP general signup. For 

this factor assign 15 points if over 50 percent of the 

offered acreage is within an approved State wildlife 

priority zone. Otherwise, assign 0 points.

• F5b – State Priority Enrollment Criteria 

(0 or 15 points)

State Technical Committees submit geographic areas 

(whole counties) to address the specific conservation 

practices and the species of concern or specific 

habitat restoration; such as tall grass prairie, that 

would be addressed by CRP grassland practice and/

or components to the FSA Conservation Division for 

approval.

For this factor assign 15 points if over 50 percent of 

the offered acreage is in a State CRP grassland zone. 

Otherwise, assign 0 points.

F6 – Small Scale Livestock Operation:

(0 to 10 points)

This factor is designed to help producers’ small scale 

livestock operations. Assign 10 points if the producer 

certifies on the CRP-2G-1 that they meet eligibility as 

a Small-Scale Livestock operation. Otherwise, assign 

0 points.

F7 – Cost: (0 to 25 points)

Factor F7 is designed to optimize the environmental 

benefits per dollar for CRP rental payments. The 

formula for F7 = F7a + F7b. The maximum points for 

F7 is 25 points.

• F7a – Cost

If the maximum CRP Grassland rental rate for a county 

is $15 or less, then the offer will receive 15 points. 

Otherwise, assign 0 points.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 4

CRP - GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 202 RANKING FACTORS - MARCH 2020

TABLE 2: OFFER LESS THAN 

THE MAXIMUM PAYMENT RATE

PERCENT BELOW MAXIMUM PAYMENT RATE F6b POINTS

1 2

2 4

3 6

4 8

5 10

6 12

7 14

8 16

9 18

10 20

11 21

12 22

13 23

14 24

> = 15 25

TABLE 1: COVER VALUES

PRACTICE F4 Points

CP87 and CP87A, Permanent Introduced Grasses and Legumes

Monoculture stand. 5

Existing stand of 2 or more species of an introduced grass species. 10

Existing stand of at least 3 introduced grasses and at least 1 forb or 

legume species best suited for wildlife in the area.

20

CP88 and CP88A, Permanent Native Grasses, Forbs, or Legumes

Monoculture stand. 10

Existing stand (minimum of 2 species) of at least 2 native grass 

species.

20

Existing stand of at least 3 native grasses. 30