IARN — Agricultural landowners and producers in Iowa can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup from today until August 20. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options this year to provide greater incentives for producers and increased the program’s conservation and climate benefits, which included setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones.
The CRP Grassland signup is competitive, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide for annual rental payments for land designated for conservation practices.
“USDA is excited to roll out our new and improved CRP Grasslands signup,” Bob Wegand, Acting State Executive Director for FSA in Iowa, said. “USDA is providing a bigger return on investment in terms of protecting natural resource benefits. The Grasslands signup is just one of the many tools available through CRP to help protect our nation’s working lands.”
CRP Grasslands helps Iowa landowners and producers protect grasslands- including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands- while maintaining the areas as working grazing lands. Protecting those grasslands contributes positively to the economy of numerous regions and provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations and important carbon sequestration benefits.
FSA has updated the Grasslands signup to establish a minimum rental rate of $15 per acre, which will benefit 1,300 counties.
FSA also identified National Grassland Priority Zones to focus on important wildlife corridors, which provides extra incentives to producers for enrolling grasslands in important migratory corridors and environmentally sensitive areas. These two zones are the Greater Yellowstone Elk Migration Corridor and the Severe Wind Erosion- Dust Bowl Zone. Counties within those zones get extra ranking points as well as $5 added to their rental rate.
Landowners and producers interested in enrolling in the CRP Grasslands signup should contact the USDA by the August 20 deadline. Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital methods. Some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors due to the pandemic. Contact your Service Center to set up an in-person or over-the-phone appointment. More information related to the USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
