CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM

                                            Release No. 0073.97
                                                               
                                   Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623
                                   Dann Stuart   (202) 690-0474
                                       dstuart@wdc.fsa.usda.gov

GLICKMAN ENCOURAGES LANDOWNERS AND OPERATORS TO PARTICIPATE IN NEW   
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM

     WASHINGTON, March 3, 1997 --Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced the opening of the sign-up period for the new, environmentally-focused Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and encouraged landowners and
farm operators to take advantage of opportunities to enroll environmentally
sensitive land in the program.  The CRP sign-up period runs through Friday,
March 28.
           The CRP will play a key role in meeting environmental goals in
different regions of the country, such as protecting salmon and trout
habitat in the Pacific Northwest; reducing sedimentation and agricultural
run-off in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; protecting millions of acres in the
Midwest from wind and water erosion; and improving wildlife habitat to
bolster waterfowl and wildlife populations in the prairie pothole region of
the northern plains. 

     "But to achieve these goals, landowners, operators, and ranchers must
offer their land for enrollment," Glickman said.  "I strongly urge them to
get the facts about how the CRP could be applied across their entire
landscape.  They have many options to consider because all different types
of land are eligible for CRP enrollment, from cropped wetlands and highly
erodible land, to other special practices, such as buffer strips, riparian
buffers on pastureland, grassed waterways, field wind breaks, contour grass
strips, and edges of cropped fields."

     The CRP is an effective, voluntary approach to improving the nation's
natural resource base.  Landowners enter into contracts with USDA to place
erodible and other environmentally-sensitive cropland in long-term
conservation practices for 10-15 years.  In exchange, landowners receive
annual rental payments for the land and cost-share assistance for
establishing those practices.

     "To learn how to maximize the CRP, all potential participants should
talk to their local conservation districts or personnel from USDA.  This
program is different from the one ten years ago.  The focus of the program
now is on conservation, not supply-management." 

     Glickman encouraged landowners and operators with land coming out of
the CRP to consider leaving smaller areas of their land in the CRP, such as
buffer strips, field edges, riparian buffers, and grassed waterways.  

     "These types of practices go a long way to help reduce erosion and
improve water quality," Glickman said.  "For people who want to reenroll the
land they presently have in the CRP, I strongly urge that they offer to
improve the grass cover or other types of conservation practices that will
enhance their chances of being accepted for another 10 or 15 year contract.

     "We created a responsible, versatile program, but now it is every
eligible person's  responsibility to step up to the plate and participate in
any way they can in both in the general sign-up between March 3 and March 28
or the continuous sign-up for environmentally-sensitive practices."

     Under the continuous sign-up, landowners at any time can enroll buffer
strips, riparian buffers, field wind breaks, grassed waterways, grass
contour strips and other special practices and receive a higher rental rate
payment as well as cost-share assistance. 
     
     The CRP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm
Service Agency (FSA), in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service, State forestry agencies, and local soil and water conservation
districts.
     
     Further information is available at local FSA and NRCS offices, which
are listed in telephone books under "United States Government, U.S.
Department of Agriculture."

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