FOREST MANAGEMENT 

INCENTIVE (FMI)

Conservation Reserve Program

Overview

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 

not farmed or ranched, but instead devoted 

to conservation benefits. CRP participants 

establish long-term, resource-conserving 

plant species, such as approved grasses or 

trees (known as “covers”) to control soil 

erosion, improve water quality, and enhance 

wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides 

participants with rental payments and costshare assistance. 

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and 

Further Continuing Appropriations and 

Other Extensions Act, 2024 extended the 

authority and provided funding for of the 

Forestry Management Incentives Program 

(FMI) through September 30, 2024. On 

Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into 

law, H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing 

Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 

2024, which extended the 2018 Farm Bill. 

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Pub. 

L. 117-169) and the Further Continuing 

Appropriations and Other Extensions 

Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-22), extended the 

authority and provided funding for the 

Forest Management Incentive (FMI). 

CRP FMI Signup 

CRP FMI signup began on January 12, 2024, 

and is ongoing. Signup will continue for as 

long as CRP authority and CRP FMI funds 

are available.

Who is Eligible? 

CRP FMI is limited to those farmers, 

ranchers, and forest landowners currently 

participating in CRP who have established 

conservation covers comprised of trees.

Eligible Land 

All land currently enrolled in the following 

conservation practices is eligible for CRP 

FMI:

• CP3 – Tree Planting

• CP3A – Hardwood Tree Planting

• CP4D – Permanent Wildlife Habitat

• CP11 – Vegetative Cover Trees Already 

Established

• CP22 – Riparian Buffer

• CP22B – Denitrifying Bioreactor on 

Riparian Buffer

• CP22S – Saturated Riparian Buffer

• CP31 – Bottomland Timber 

Establishment on Wetlands

• CP36 – Longleaf Pine Establishment

• CP38A-22 – SAFE Riparian Buffer

• CP38C-3 – SAFE Tree Planting

• CP38C-3A – SAFE Hardwood Tree 

Planting

• CP38C-11 – SAFE Vegetative Cover 

Trees Already Established

• CP38C-31 – SAFE Bottomland Timber 

Establishment on Wetlands

• CP38D-36 – SAFE Longleaf Pine 

Establishment

• CP38E-4D – SAFE Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat

Eligible Technical 

Practices

The following technical 

practices are eligible for CRP 

FMI:

• 314 – Brush Management 

• 315 – Herbaceous Weed 

Control 

• 327 – Conservation Cover 

• 338 – Prescribed Burning 

• 394 – Firebreak 

• 645 – Upland Wildlife 

Habitat 

• 647 – Early Successional 

Habitat 

• 660 – Tree/Shrub Pruning 

• 666 – Forest Stand 

Improvement. 

JANUARY 2024 fsa.usda.gov
CRP FOREST MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE 2

CRP FMI Payments 

CRP FMI is a payment to eligible 

CRP participants who have properly 

completed authorized forest 

management practice activities, 

to improve condition of resources, 

promote forest management, or 

enhance wildlife habitat. 

CRP FMI payments are equal to the 

lesser of the CRP participant’s actual 

cost to implement the practice or 

85% of the NRCS National Payment 

Scenario rate for the applicable NRCS 

technical practice. 

A CRP participant may be eligible for 

more than one CRP FMI payment if 

multiple approved forest management 

activities are performed according to 

the conservation plan. 

Approved forest management 

activities must be completed and 

reported by no later than the 

expiration date of the agreement, for 

the CRP participant to receive CRP 

FMI payment for such activity. 

CRP FMI payment is conditional upon 

completion, and certification on the 

FSA-848B agreement, of approved 

forest management activities as 

provided in the conservation plan. 

Total CRP FMI payment is limited to 

$200,000 per person or legal entity.

More Information 

CRP is authorized by the Food Security 

Act of 1985 and was reauthorized 

through September 30, 2024, by 

Further Continuing Appropriations and 

Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 

118-22). 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.

This fact sheet is for informational 

purposes only; other restrictions may 

apply. 

For more information, visit fsa.usda.

gov or contact your local FSA office. 

To find your local FSA office, visit 

farmers.gov/service-locator. 

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