CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET October 2016

Conservation Reserve Program - Continuous Enrollment

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm 

Service Agency’s (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP) is a voluntary program that contracts with 

agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive 

agricultural land is used for conservation benefits. CRP 

participants establish long-term, resource-conserving 

vegetative species, such as approved grasses or trees 

(known as “covers”), to control soil erosion, improve 

the water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, 

FSA provides participants with rental payments and 

cost-share assistance. Continuous enrollment contracts 

are 10 to 15 years in duration.

The Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, authorized 

CRP. The program is also governed by regulations 

published in 7 CFR, part 1410. The program is 

implemented by FSA on behalf of USDA’s Commodity 

Credit Corporation. More detailed information on 

CRP is available in the FSA fact sheet, “Conservation 

Reserve Program”, located at 

www.fsa.usda.gov/factsheets.

BENEFITS

CRP protects millions of acres of American topsoil from 

erosion and is designed to safeguard the nation’s natural 

resources. By reducing water runoff and sedimentation, 

CRP protects groundwater and helps improve the 

condition of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. The 

vegetative covers also make CRP a major contributor 

to increased wildlife populations in many parts of the 

country.

ADMINISTRATION

FSA administers CRP while technical support functions 

are provided by:

• USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS);

• State forestry agencies;

• Local soil and water conservation districts; and

• Other non-federal providers of technical assistance.

CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT AND 

EFFECTIVE DATE

Under continuous enrollment authority, environmentally 

sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices 

can be enrolled in CRP at any time. Offers are 

automatically accepted provided the land and producer 

meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment 

levels do not exceed the statutory cap. Unlike CRP 

enrollments under general enrollment authority, offers 

for continuous enrollment are not subject to competitive 

bidding during specific periods.

Producers submitting CRP offers for any continuous 

enrollment practices, except CREP, will have the option 

to:

• Request a contract effective date of Oct. 1, 2017; or

• Pending availability of acres, request a contract 

with an effective date during fiscal year (FY) 2017.

Producers who request a contract effective date deferral 

of Oct. 1, 2017, will be approved upon the completion 

of the conservation plan. Producers who request a 

contract with an effective date during FY 2017 will be 

accepted on a non-competitive first come, first serve 

basis in batches as FSA determines that acres are 

available. If acres do not become available during FY 

2017, contracts on the wait-list will be offered an Oct. 1, 

2017, effective date before the end of the FY.

If the acres are now under CRP contract and are within 

one year of the scheduled expiration date, the effective 

date is Oct. 1 following the expiration date.

CREP enrollment is ongoing and is unaffected. 

Contracts can be approved at any time.

To offer land for continuous enrollment, producers 

should contact their local FSA office.

ELIGIBLE PRODUCERS

A producer must have owned or operated the land for at 

least 12 months prior to submitting the offer, unless:

• The new owner acquired the land due to the 

previous owner’s death;

• The ownership change occurred due to foreclosure 

where the owner exercised a timely right of 

redemption in accordance with state law; or

• The circumstances of the acquisition present 

adequate assurance to FSA that the new owner did 

not acquire the land for the purpose of placing it in 

CRP.
FACT SHEET

CRP - Continuous Enrollment October 2016

ELIGIBLE LAND

Land must be cropland that is planted or considered 

planted to an agricultural commodity four of the 

previous six crop years from 2008 to 2013, and is 

physically and legally capable of being planted (no 

planting restrictions due to an easement or other 

legally binding instrument) in a normal manner to an 

agricultural commodity. Certain marginal pastureland 

that may be devoted to riparian buffers is also eligible.

ELIGIBLE PRACTICES

The land must be eligible and suitable for any of the 

following conservation practices:

• Riparian buffers;

• Wildlife habitat buffers;

• Wetland buffers;

• Filter strips;

• Wetland restoration;

• Grass waterways;

• Windbreaks and shelterbelts;

• Living snow fences;

• Contour grass strips;

• Constructed wetlands;

• Restoration of aquaculture wetlands;

• Flooded prairie wetlands;

• Wildlife habitat restoration within approved State 

Areas for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) projects;

• Land with an erodibility index of 20 or more;

• Pollinator habitat;

• Longleaf pine;

• Bottomland hardwood trees;

• Salt tolerant or salinity reducing vegetation; or

• Shallow water areas for wildlife.

Land within an Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA)-designated public wellhead area also may be 

eligible for enrollment on a continuous basis.

PAYMENTS

FSA provides CRP continuous enrollment participants 

with annual rental payments, including certain 

incentives and cost-share assistance:

• Rental Payments

 ° In return for establishing long-term, resource-

 conserving covers, FSA provides annual rental

 payments to participants. FSA bases rental rates

 on the relative productivity of the soils within

 each county and the average dry-land cash rent

 or cash rent equivalent as guidelines.

 ° The per-acre annual rental rate may not exceed

 the calculated rate determined in advance of

 enrollment. While continuous enrollment

 acceptance is not determined by a competitive

 offer process, producers may elect to receive an

 amount less than the maximum payment rate.

• Cost-Share Assistance and Incentives

 Cost-share of 50 percent of the cost of

 establishing the practice is provided.

 ° Some practices may be eligible for an upfront

 signing incentive payment (SIP) that will be

 made after the contract is approved and all

 payment eligibility criteria are met.

 ° A practice incentive payment (PIP) equal to

 40 percent of the eligible installation costs for

 eligible participants who enroll certain practices. 

 The one-time PIP will be issued after the

 practice is installed, eligible costs are verified

 and other payment eligibility criteria are met.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This fact sheet is provided for informational purposes 

only, other details or restrictions may apply. To find 

more information about FSA conservation programs, 

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

local FSA office or USDA service center. To find your 

local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

_____________________________________________

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, 

and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, 

religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines 

vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made 

available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.

usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit 

your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for

 Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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