Why Choose CRP? You Benefit. Land, Water and Wildlife Benefit. 

Native grasses are an effective means to control erosion, improve water quality, and create habitat for grassland and 

game bird species. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides farmers and landowners with practices 

like this to achieve many farming and conservation goals. Whatever the conservation challenge – soil conservation, 

water quality protection, or wildlife habitat enhancement – CRP is a proven land performance and management 

solution.

Why Native Grasses?

With an ever-increasing need to protect fragile ground 

and increase wildlife habitat, establishing native 

grasses - grasses indigenous to an area - is an effective 

conservation strategy. With close to 7 million acres of 

CP-2 in place, the practice supports many species of 

plants and wildlife. Offered in general sign-up (and 

under certain conditions as a continuous sign-up), 

CP-2:

• Establishes new or maintains existing cover

• Prevents soil loss from wind and water erosion

• Creates habitat for grassland and game bird species 

• Improves water quality by intercepting sediment 

and nutrients

• Captures carbon

Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Financial Benefits

CP-2 participants are guaranteed:

• 10 years of annual rental payments

• 10% Rental Rate Incentive if enrolled in a 

wellhead protection area

• Payments covering up to 90% of the eligible 

costs of establishing the native grass practice

 - 50% from a Cost-Share Payment and

 - 40% from a Practice Incentive Payment 

 (PIP) under certain continuous sign-up 

 conditions

• Mid-Contract Management Cost Share

• Additional incentives may be available in 

your state under the Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) 

Wind & Water Erosion Control | Water Quality Enhancement | Habitat

Conservation Reserve Program

CP-2

ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT NATIVE GRASSES

Photo courtesy of BLM/MT
Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

FSA will ultimately determine participant and land eligibility.

Eligible Land

• Planted or considered planted 4 out of 6 

years between 2008 and 2013 

• Capable of being planted to an agricultural 

commodity

• Compliant with USDA’s highly erodible land 

and wetland provisions

Practice Requirements

• Land must not be harvested or grazed during 

the life of the contract except when managed 

or emergency haying or grazing is authorized

• Noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, 

insects and pests should be controlled 

• Practice shall be maintained without 

additional cost-share payments

Owner/Operator Eligibility

Participants must: 

• Have owned or operated the land for more 

than 12 months prior to program sign-up

• Be in control of the land for the length of the 

contract 

• Meet USDA payment eligibility provisions

Obligations

Participants will:

• Not harvest or graze the practice area

• Work with USDA-approved conservationist to 

develop a conservation plan

• Perform periodic management activities according 

to the conservation plan

• Complete seeding of the practice within 12 

months of the effective date of the contract

CP-2

For More Information:

Contact your local USDA, Farm Service Agency:

http://offices.usda.gov

Proven Conservation Benefits

• In prime habitat, a 4% increase in CRP vegetation 

is associated with a 22% increase in pheasant 

counts

• CRP reduced nutrient losses in FY 2013 by an 

estimated 565 million pounds of nitrogen and 113 

million pounds of phosphorus

• In 2014, CRP lowered greenhouse gas emissions 

by the equivalent of 43 million metric tons – the 

same benefit as taking nearly 8 million cars off the 

road for a year

Landscape photo courtesy BLM/Montana. Pheasant photo courtesy of Pheasants Forever, Peter Brethelsen