Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2023

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the conservation reserve program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2023 2. Conservation reserve program improvements (a) State acres for wildlife enhancement continuous enrollment Section 1231(d)(6)(A)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(6)(A)(i) (1) in subclause (II), by striking and (2) by adding at the end the following: (IV) land that will be enrolled under the State acres for wildlife enhancement practice established by the Secretary; and . (b) Cost sharing payments for establishment of grazing infrastructure (1) In general Section 1234(b)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(1) (A) by striking establishing water (A) water ; (B) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (B) grazing infrastructure, including interior cross fencing, perimeter fencing, and water infrastructure (such as rural water connections, water wells, pipelines, and water tanks), under each contract, for all practices, if grazing is included in the conservation plan and addresses a resource concern. . (2) Reenrollment of land with grazing infrastructure Section 1231(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3831(h) (3) Land with grazing infrastructure On the expiration of a contract entered into under this subchapter that covers land that includes grazing infrastructure established with cost sharing assistance under section 1234(b)(1)(B)— (A) the Secretary shall consider that land to be planted for purposes of subsection (b)(1)(B); and (B) that land shall be eligible for reenrollment in the conservation reserve, subject to the requirements of this subchapter. . (c) Mid-Contract management for activities not relating to haying or grazing (1) Definition of management Section 1232(a)(5) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3832(a)(5) (as defined in section 1231A(a)) management (2) Management payments Section 1234(b)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(2) (B) Management payments The Secretary shall make cost sharing payments to an owner or operator under this subchapter for any management activity described in section 1232(a)(5), except for those management activities relating to haying or grazing. . (d) Payment limitation for rental payments Section 1234(g)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3834(g)(1) $50,000 $125,000

Summary: Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2023 This bill revises the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of the Farm Service Agency. CRP is a land conservation program that provides an annual rental payment to farmers in exchange for farmers removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve environmental health and quality. Specifically, the bill permanently establishes a continuous enrollment procedure for land that will be enrolled under the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative. Additionally, the bill provides federal cost sharing payments for the establishment of grazing infrastructure on all CRP contracts and practices, if grazing is included in the conservation plan and addresses a resource concern. It also provides federal cost sharing payments under CRP for management activities to implement the conservation plan that are not related to haying or grazing. Further, the bill increases the CRP annual rental payment limitation from $50,000 to $125,000.