Grassland Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP)

Signup 205 Ranking Factors

Overview

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) 

grassland Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP) ranking factors have been updated 

from previous signups.

Grassland CRP is a working lands program 

which helps 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.

The grassland CRP is a working lands 

program. Working lands conservation 

programs help farmers to enhance the 

sustainability of their operations while 

keeping land in production.

Ranking Grassland CRP 

Offers

FSA will rank offers for grassland CRP using 

grassland CRP ranking factors developed by 

the agency.

Rankings are unique for each tract of land 

offered.

FSA assigns each 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 grassland CRP 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

F-1 Current and Future 

Use: (0 - 30 Points)

Factor F1 encourages continued usage of 

the land and retains the benefits of expiring 

CRP or expiring GRP land using 2 sub 

factors. The formula for F1 = F1a + F1b.

 F1a – Expiring CRP or GRP: 

(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.

Assign 20 points if over 50 percent of the 

offered acreage is currently expiring CRP 

in the last year of CRP-1 or expiring GRP. 

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. 

More 

Information 

On grassland CRP signup 

is available in the FSA 

fact sheet, “Grassland 

Conservation Reserve 

Program – Fact Sheet”. 

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) - SIGNUP 205 RANKING FACTORS 2

Assign 10 points if over 50 percent of 

the offered acreages is currently CP2, 

CP10 or CP25. Otherwise, assign 0 

points.

F2 Beginning, Socially 

Disadvantaged, Limited Resource and 

Veteran Farmers and 

Ranchers: (0 to 20 

points)

For this factor assign 20 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 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, 5, 7.5 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, 5, 7.5 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 45 

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 or 

environmental sensitive areas under 

significant threat. The formula for F5 = 

F5a + F5b + F5c.

 F5a – Wildlife Priority Zones 

(0 or 15 points)

Grassland CRP 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.

fsa.usda.gov

Table 1: Cover Values

Practice CP88 F4 Points

Permanent Introduced Grasses and Legumes

Monoculture stand. 5

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

Existing stand (minimum of 4 species) of at least 3 introduced grasses 

and at least 1 forb or legume of species best suited for wildlife in the 

area.

20

Permanent Native Grasses and Legumes

Monoculture stand. 10

Existing stand (minimum of 3 species) of at least 2 native grass 

species.

20

Existing stand (minimum of 5 species) of at least 3 native grasses. 30
GRASSLAND CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) - SIGNUP 205 RANKING FACTORS 3

 F5b – State Grassland 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 Grassland CRP 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 Grassland CRP zone. 

Otherwise, assign 0 points.

 	F5c – National Priority Zone:

(0 or 15 points)

This factor is designed to help 

producers address acreages that 

are environmental sensitive areas 

under significant threat. For this 

factor assign 15 points if over 50 

percent of the offered acreage is in 

National Grassland CRP Priority 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 SmallScale 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 maximum 

points for F7 is 25 points.

F7a – Cost (0 or 15 points)

If the maximum grassland CRP rental 

rate for a county is less than or equal 

to $15, the offer will get 15 points.

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 Grassland 

CRP Offers More 

Competitive

Offer competition is expected to be 

significant and only grassland CRP 

offers ranking high enough to be 

accepted will move forward toward 

enrollment. To make offers more 

competitive, 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.

Table 2: Offer Less Than The 

Maximum Payment Rate

Percent Below 

Maximum 

Payment Rate

F7 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

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