Main Content
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the enrollment periods for agricultural
producers and landowners to submit offers for the Continuous and General Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for Continuous CRP starting Feb.
12, 2026, through March 20, 2026. Enrollment for General CRP will run from March 9, 2026, through April
17, 2026. FSA will announce dates for Grassland CRP signup in the near future.
CRP is USDA’s flagship conservation program, providing financial and technical support to agricultural
producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years
and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality,
prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative
Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, extends FSA’s authority to
administer CRP through Sept. 30, 2026.
Continuous CRP (Signup 65)
FSA will batch Continuous CRP (https://tinyurl.com/3tzew28a) offers submitted by interested agricultural producers and landowners. Offers to re-enroll expiring CRP continuous acreage will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. New acreage offered in continuous CRP practices will be considered for acceptance on a first-come, first-serve basis if they support USDA conservation priorities including but not limited to practices that address water quality, such as filter strips and grass waterways, and practices that restore native ecosystems or target specific resource concerns.
The first Continuous CRP batching period ends on March 20, 2026. Offers submitted after this date will be considered for acceptance in subsequent batching periods if acreage remains available.
Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels
than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In
return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP enrollment options include:
- Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the
land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal
blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations. - CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality
practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts. - Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI): Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish
long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or
equal to 20. - Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): Addresses high priority conservation
objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas. - State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative (SAFE): Restores vital habitat in order to meet high priority state wildlife conservation goals.
General CRP (Signup 66)
General CRP (https://tinyurl.com/y5t5yhd5) offers are submitted through a competitive bid process.
After the enrollment period closes, General CRP offers are ranked and scored by FSA, using nationally
established environmental benefits criteria. USDA will announce accepted offers once ranking and scoring for all offers is completed. In addition to annual rental payments, approved General CRP participants may also be eligible for cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Producers and landowners interested in participating in CRP should contact their local FSA county office.
(https://tinyurl.com/mtd9cx9a)