Fast Facts:

  • CRP is recognized as one of the most successful conservation programs in U.S. history.
  • USDA received applications for more than 3 million acres across the three main categories of CRP.
  • With cap limitations, fewer than 900,000 acres were able to enroll in the program this year.
  • "Despite a limiting acreage cap, it is encouraging to see high demand for this program," said Kellis Moss, director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 16, 2016 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week fewer than 900,000 acres nationwide were enrolled through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up period ending Feb. 26.

Vilsack announced last year at the Ducks Unlimited National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that the general sign-up period for CRP would be Dec. 1, 2015, through Feb. 26, 2016. Of the 3 million acres of applications received by the end of February, more than 1.8 million acres were through the general enrollment category, but with current cap limitations, only 411,000 acres were enrolled by USDA this year. USDA also enrolled 101,000 acres in the new CRP Grasslands program and 364,000 acres in continuous CRP.

"Despite a limiting acreage cap, it is encouraging to see high demand for this program," said Kellis Moss, director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited. "CRP is an important voluntary tool for landowners and the number of applicants this year is a testament to its popularity and continued success. We are concerned with the low acceptance rates particularly in the Prairie Pothole Region, a critical landscape for breeding waterfowl, but Ducks Unlimited remains committed to working with our partners in agriculture and conservation to ensure critical wildlife and waterfowl habitat is conserved under CRP for years to come."

Under the 2014 Farm Bill, Congress capped the number of acres enrolled in CRP at 24 million through fiscal year 2018. According to the USDA, 23.8 million acres were enrolled in CRP as of March of 2016, with more than 1.7 million acres set to expire in the fall of 2016. This year, USDA received applications for more than 3 million acres of land across the three main categories for CRP: general enrollment, continuous enrollment and the new CRP Grasslands program.

CRP is a voluntary, incentive-based cost-share program administered by the USDA that pays landowners an annual rental payment for restoring environmentally sensitive lands back to natural habitat for a 10- to 15-year period. Established in the 1985 Farm Bill, CRP is recognized as one of the most effective landscape-level conservation programs in U.S. history. The program was re-authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill and continues to provide important air, soil, water-quality and wildlife benefits across the country. CRP also provides economic stability and support for our nation's agricultural producers.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.6 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Tucker Clare Nelson
(202) 347-1530
tnelson@ducks.org