Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up 49, began Dec. 1, and runs through Feb. 26. 

CRP is a land conservation program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.

Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are 10-15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.

What makes CRP so important? Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is the largest private-lands conservation program in the United States.

Thanks to voluntary participation by farmers and land owners, CRP has improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, and increased habitat for endangered and threatened species. 

If interested in offering land into the Conservation Reserve Program, contact the office at (434) 542-5121, extension 2.