CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ACCEPTS 16.1 MILLION ACRES FOR ENROLLMENT IN CRP


                                            Release No. 0168.97
                                                               
                                   Tom Amontree  (202) 720-4623
					tamontree@usda.gov
				   Marlyn Aycock (202) 720-5237          

CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ACCEPTS 16.1 MILLION ACRES FOR ENROLLMENT IN CRP

     WASHINGTON, May 22, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept 16.1 million
acres of the nation's most environmentally sensitive cropland into the new
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  
     
     "Last February I pledged that this sign up would be the first step
toward a new CRP that would provide more environmental benefits over the
next 10 years than the old program did over the last 10.  That pledge has
been fulfilled," Glickman said.  "We set out to enroll land that would yield
the highest environmental benefits, keep productive cropland growing food
and fiber and be fair to taxpayers in providing the most environmental bang
for the buck."  
     
     "That goal has been met in three significant ways,"  Glickman said. 
"One, the 16.1 million acres we are accepting into the CRP will result in a
nearly 85 percent increase in the environmental benefits for every dollar
spent.  Two, the average Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) of the bids we
are accepting today is 46 percent higher than the acreage enrolled presently
in the CRP.  Three, while getting greater environmental benefits, we will be
paying 21 percent less per acre -- saving more than $1.6 billion for the
life of the program."

     The environmental benefits of the 16.1 million acres accepted are
significantly greater due to a variety of factors, including producer
willingness to adopt more environmentally beneficial vegetation, the
enrollment of acreage in conservation priority areas, the restoration of
more than 790,000 acres of wetlands with protective upland areas, and the
enrollment of more than 1 million acres of trees.

     "We were very impressed with the number of people willing to make their
existing CRP contracts more environmentally sensitive," Glickman said.  "This
fact has enabled us to keep the regional distribution of acreage in the CRP
stable while increasing environmental benefits." 
     
      For this sign up, the EBI was redesigned to compare the offers of all
acreage based on seven factors;  soil erosion, wildlife habitat, water
quality, air quality, location in a conservation priority area,  long-term
retention of conservation benefits beyond the contract period and cost.   
          
     The temporary retirement of this land will not have a substantial
effect on commodity prices, farm income, or the United States' ability to
supply world markets with agricultural products. 

     USDA immediately will begin the notification process to let farmers
and ranchers  know whether their offers were accepted.  Those whose land was
not accepted should consult with a representative from USDA's  Farm Service
Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), or a
conservation district to improve the environmental benefits or rental rate
of offers for the next CRP sign up, scheduled to take place this fall. 
Potential bidders can increase the environmental value, and acceptability,
of their offers by proposing to establish certain covers which enhance
wildlife habitat and by offering only the more sensitive cropland acres.

     Glickman urged farmers and ranchers who may not have participated in
this CRP sign up, or did not have land accepted, also to look into the CRP's
continuous sign up options.  The CRP continuous sign-up provides farmers
with the opportunity to enroll land in the CRP by devoting it to certain
high environmentally-valued conservation practices, such as riparian buffers
and grass waterways.
     
     Today, some 32.9 million acres are enrolled in the CRP.  There are
approximately 21.2 million acres subject to CRP contracts  expiring on
September 30, 1997.  The new 16.1 million acre enrollment will bring the
total acres enrolled in the CRP to 27.6  million on October 1, 1997. 
     
     The CRP is an effective, voluntary approach to improving the
environment using partnerships between individuals and the government. 
Landowners and operators establish long-term conservation practices on
erodible land and environmentally sensitive land in exchange for 10-15 years
of annual rental payments and cost-share assistance in adopting and
maintaining those practices.  Contracts between USDA and land owners
establish the rental rates and cost share assistance to be paid over the 10-15 years covered by the contracts.


                                #

NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet.
Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov