Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

FSA To Accept Bids For Sign-Up For CRP Contracts

Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be accepting bids for the 15th sign-up through March 28. Eligible landowners can sign up at their local Farm Service Agency office.

During the sign-up period, owners or operators of eligible cropland and those with expiring CRP contracts are eligible for the 15th sign-up in March.

Under the CRP, farmers and ranchers receive a rental fee and cost- share assistance from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in return for converting environmentally sensitive acreage to desirable environmental practices. Planting permanent vegetataive cover on highly erodible land and certain other acreages can improve water and air quality as well as benefitting many species of wildlife.

The USDA recently published new regulations governing the CRP under which only the most enviornnmentally sensitive land may be enrolled. The purpose of the change is to maximize environmental benefits and keep the most productive land working.

The sign-up period does not apply to certain highly desirable environmental practices, including field windbreaks, shelter belts, reparian buffers, filter strips and shallow water areas for wildlife. Farmers and ranchers can apply at any time for contracts for these special practices under FSA's continuous sign-up program.