Get Paid to Promote Clean Water and Healthy Soil

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

According to the EPA, excessive agricultural runoff can come from overgrazing; plowing too often or at the wrong time; poorly located or mismanaged animal feeding operations; and improper, excessive or poorly timed applications of pesticides, irrigation water and fertilizer. To learn more about the adverse effects of soil erosion, fertilizers, pesticides and other ag-related pollutants on water resources, click here. 

The program also allows the land to support a larger and more diverse population of birds. A study on the benefits of CRP to grassland bird populations in North and South Dakota (conducted by researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Montana) predicted that, without the existence of CRP land, there would be 1.8 million fewer sedge wrens, grasshopper sparrows, dickcissels, bobolinks and western meadowlarks. The findings are significant because grassland bird species are declining faster than any other bird group in North America. In addition to the boost in grassland birds, a related study found that CRP in the area also encouraged an increase in duck populations — 26 million ducks hatched in the area between 1992 and 2004. 

How do I enroll?

Contact your local FSA office (click here to locate yours) to learn about the CRP programs for which you may be eligible. Some programs designed for especially sensitive areas offer higher rental payments than others, and for some applicants, additional monetary incentives may apply. The CRP Continuous Signup is the easiest to qualify for and eligible land is automatically accepted into the program. 

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print