Eligible farmers and private landowners can sign up now for the voluntary Conservation Reserve Program.

The program is a 33-year effort to protect sensitive lands and improve water quality and wildlife habitat. Last fall the FSA stopped accepting applications for the continuous signup so the USDA could review available acres and avoid exceeding the cap set by the 2014 Farm Bill of 24 million acres of CRP. Currently, CRP enrollment nationwide is at about 22.7 million acres. This year’s signup priority will be given to grassed waterways, filter strips, buffers, and wetland restoration. Also, this year the USDA will not open a general signup, however, a one-year extension will be offered to existing CRP participants with expiring CRP contracts of 14 years or less. Sign up at your local Farm Service Agency office by August 17th.