Excerpt
WHILE numerous agricultural conservation and environmental issues may be debated in the next few years, one that is sure to be considered is the expiration of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. Commodity groups, conservation and environmental organizations, contract holders, and local interests are all asking what the Federal government plans for CRP land as contracts end. Early resolution by Congress and the administration would allow producers time to plan for the transition. However, if action comes, it will likely be deferred to the next farm bill expected in 1995.
About 36.5 million acres of highly erodible or environmentally-sensitive cropland have been enrolled in the CRP under 10-year contracts (2). The first contracts, covering two million acres, expire in October 1995. But October 1996 and 1997 are the big years when contracts on more than 22 million acres expire. The expiration of CRP contracts raises concerns over the extent of conservation, wildlife, and environmental reversals that will occur, particularly if commodity markets are favorable in 1996 and 1997.
Wasn't this problem anticipated in the 1985 farm …
Footnotes
USDA-Economic Research Service
- Copyright 1993 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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