Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) –

GRASSLANDS 201 SIGNUP

RANKING FACTORS

Farm Service Agency

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FACT SHEET

June 2018

CONSERVATION

Overview

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands is offering a 

sign-up that began on June 4, 2018. 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”

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 Small Livestock Operation;

• 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;

• Other factors as determined by FSA
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CRP – GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 201 RANKING FACTORS - JUNE 2018

F1 – Current and Future Use:

(0 to 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 acreages in grass covers will

 help preserve a majority of the benefits established

 under general CRP.

 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 – Small Scale Livestock Operation:

 (0 or 10 points)

 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.

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.

F3 – Maximizing Grassland 

Preservation:

(0, 5, 10, 15 or 20 points)

For this factor assign 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20 points. If over 

50 percent of the offered acreage is in a county under 

threat of conversion as determined by DAFP.

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 10 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.

• F5a – Wildlife Priority Zones (0 or 5 points)

 CRP grassland will use the existing State wildlife

 priority zones identified for CRP general signup.

 For this factor assign 5 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 5 points)

 State Technical Committee’s shall 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 CEPD for approval. 

 For this factor assign 5 points if over 50 percent of

 the offered acreage is in a State CRP grassland zone.

 Otherwise, assign 0 points.
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CRP – GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 201 RANKING FACTORS - JUNE 2018

F6 – Cost: (0 or 25 points)

Factor F6 is designed to optimize the environmental 

benefits per dollar for CRP rental payments. The 

formula for F6 = F6a + F6b. The maximum points for 

F6 is 25 points.

• F6a – 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.

• F6b – 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 each CRP grassland batching 

period, 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 batching period.

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.

For 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.
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CRP – GRASSLANDS SIGNUP 201 RANKING FACTORS - JUNE 2018

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

TABLE 1: COVER VALUES

ASSIGNED

PRACTICE POINT SCORE

5

10

20

10

20

30

CP87 and CP87A, Permanent Introduced Grasses and Legumes

 Monoculture stand.

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

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

 legume species best suited for wildlife in the area.

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

 Monoculture stand.

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

 species.

 Existing stand of at least 3 native grasses.

TABLE 2: OFFER LESS THAN

THE MAXIMUM PAYMENT RATE

PERCENT BELOW MAXIMUM PAYMENT RATE F6b POINTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

> = 15

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

21

22

23

24

25