Conservation Reserve Program Modernization

Summary#

This bill, called the Conservation Reserve Program Modernization Act, changes parts of the Food Security Act of 1985 to update the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). It adds definitions (for example, "conservation buffer," "eligible partner," and "land capability class"). It expands what land can be enrolled in CRP to include certain cropland based on soil class or cropping history, conservation buffers and wetlands, grasslands and marginal pastureland, and land proposed by eligible partners to address water or wildlife concerns. It also allows enrolling the remainder of a field when most of the field is already enrolled and the rest is infeasible to farm.

The bill sets payment rules. Cost-share payments to establish practices are set at 50 percent for items such as planting permanent vegetation, site preparation, erosion control, fencing, water developments, and mid-contract management. The bill changes how annual rental payments are calculated for reenrollments and limits county average soil rental rates. For general enrollment or conservation reserve enhancement enrollment, the county average rental rate caps are: 85 percent for land capability class I or II, 100 percent for class III, and 115 percent for class IV through VII. Land enrolled under the continuous enrollment option is capped at 100 percent regardless of soil class. For reenrollments, the first reenrollment after enactment is limited to 85 percent of the county average soil rental rate, and each subsequent reenrollment reduces that percentage by 10 percentage points.

What it means for you#

• Landowners and operators of eligible land can apply to enroll cropland, grasslands, marginal pasture, and buffer areas described in the bill.
• Eligible partners (States, political subdivisions of States, Indian Tribes, or nongovernmental organizations) can propose land to address water quality, water conservation, or wildlife habitat concerns.
• If you enroll land, the program will pay 50 percent of many establishment and protection costs listed in the bill (for example, seeding, fencing, and erosion control).
• Annual rental payments for reenrolled acres will be limited to a percentage of the county average soil rental rate, with the first reenrollment at 85 percent and smaller percentages for later reenrollments. Rental rate caps also vary by soil land capability class and by enrollment option.

Expenses#

• The bill specifies that cost-share payments for certain establishment and protection activities are 50 percent of the costs, as described in the bill.
• The bill sets limits on annual rental payments and caps on county average soil rental rates by soil land capability class and enrollment type (details in the Summary and What it means for you sections).
• No publicly available information on total program costs, budget offsets, or estimated fiscal impact is provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.