Grassland Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP)

Grassland Signup 205 – April 17, 2023 through May 26, 2023

Overview

USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

is a voluntary program that contracts with

agricultural producers to help landowners

and operators protect grassland, including

rangeland, 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. CRP participants develop

and implement conservation plans that

work alongside their haying and grazing

operations. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost share 

assistance. Contract duration is between

10 and 15 years. Accepted contacts for this

grassland CRP signup period will become

effective October 1, 2023. 

Submitting Grassland 

CRP Offers

Land not currently enrolled in CRP may

be offered during this grassland CRP

signup period. In addition, CRP producers

whose CRP contracts are expiring on Sept.

30, 2023, may offer the expiring land

in grassland CRP signup 205. To submit

grassland CRP offers, producers must

contact their local FSA Office. FSA will

accept grassland CRP offers only during the

signup period.

What Land is Eligible?

To be eligible for grassland CRP, land must 

have an established cover containing forbs 

or shrubs, be located in an area historically 

dominated by grassland, provides habitat 

for animal and plant populations of significant ecological value, or is expiring CRP. 

Offered Land with more than 5% tree 

canopy is ineligible for grassland CRP.

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible for grassland CRP, a producer 

must have owned or operated the land for 

at least 12 months prior to the end of this 

grassland CRP signup period, 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 or redemption

in accordance with state law or;

 The circumstance of the acquisition

presents adequate assurance to FSA

the new owner did not acquire the land

for the purposes of placing it in CRP.

Grassland CRP 

Payments?

FSA provides producer whose offers are 

selected for grassland CRP enrollment with 

annual rental payments and cost share 

assistance.

More 

Information 

For more information 

about FSA and its 

programs, visit fsa.usda.

gov or your local FSA 

office. 

To find your local FSA 

office, visit farmers.gov/

servicelocator.

APRIL 2023
GRASSLAND CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) 2

 Rental Payments: In return 

for implementing conservation 

measures into a haying and 

grazing plan, FSA provides annual 

rental payments to participants. 

FSA bases rental rates on 

the value of the grazing land. 

County office staff works with 

the producers to calculate the 

maximum CRP rental rate for 

each offer. Producers may offer 

land below the maximum rate to 

increase the likelihood of their 

offer being accepted. 

 Cost-Share Assistance: FSA 

provides cost share assistance to 

participants who install approved 

fencing or livestock watering 

facilities are needed to facilitate 

grazing distribution. The cost 

share assistance cannot exceed 

50 percent of the participant’s 

costs to install approved 

infrastructure. Boundary fences 

are not eligible for cost share 

assistance.

Grassland CRP rental rates may be 

viewed in your local USDA Service 

Center or online.

Ranking Grassland 

CRP Offers

FSA will rank offers for grassland 

CRP enrollment according to several 

ranking factors. FSA collects data 

based on location of the offer and 

the operations and determines the 

environmental indices for the land 

offered. FSA ranks each eligible offer 

in comparison to all other offers 

and selects from that ranking. After 

enrollment period ends, the Secretary 

of Agriculture will decide where to 

make the ranking score cutoff. Those 

who have met previous ranking score 

thresholds are not guaranteed a 

contract under this enrollment period. 

Producers may consult with local FSA 

and Natural Resource Conservation 

Service (NRCS) staff on how to 

maximize ranking scores and increase 

the likelihood that their offer will be 

accepted.

Grassland CRP permits producers 

to graze, harvest hay, and seed 

production while receiving an annual 

rental payment for maintaining 

the existing permanent cover that 

is offered. Producers are required 

to maintain and complete any 

maintenance/enhancements needed 

on the grassland CRP. This includes 

any seeding of grasses or legumes 

along with applying applicable 

fertilizer and chemical applications. All 

activities are subject to a Conservation 

Plan, with certain restriction for haying 

during the primary nesting season. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov