Conservation Reserve Program 15th Sign Up FAQ's Release No. 0169.97 Questions & Answers Conservation Reserve Program 15th Sign Up FAQ's 1) Q: When will producers be notified whether their bids have been accepted? A: The Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Kansas City Management Office will send lists of accepted and rejected bids to all State and county FSA offices by overnight mail by May 23. After receipt, FSA County offices will start notifying producers during the week of May 27-30. 2) Q: What is the regional distribution of the acreage in the new CRP compared to the old CRP? CRP Enrollment A: Region Old CRP New CRP Northeast 1% 1% Appalachian 3% 2% Southeast 5% 4% Delta States 3% 4% Corn Belt 15% 14% Lake States 8% 6% N. Plains 27% 31% S. Plains 15% 14% Mountain 18% 21% Pacific 5% 3% Note: Numbers may not add to 100% due to rounding. 3) Q: How much acreage subject to expiring CRP contracts will be re-enrolled in this sign up? A: Approximately 11.7 million acres that are currently subject to contracts expiring September 30, 1997, will be re-enrolled in the new CRP. 4) Q: When will the new contracts become effective? A: CRP bidders were able to present offers for contracts that would become effective either October 1, 1997, or October 1, 1998. However, contracts covering acreage already subject to CRP contracts must become effective October 1, 1997. 5) Q: Can a 1997 crop be harvested even when normal harvest occurs after the October 1, 1998, contract effective date? A: CRP participants with new contracts are permitted to harvest the preceding year's crop even when normal harvest occurs after October 1 of the effective date of the new contract. The first year's payment is not affected by the harvest date. 6) Q: What will be the duration of CRP contracts? A: Generally, CRP contracts will be for a term of not less than 10 years. However, for land devoted to certain practices such as riparian buffers, filter strips, restoration of cropped wetlands, hardwood trees, shelter belts, windbreaks, or wildlife corridors, contracts are for a term of not less than 10 nor more than 15 years, as selected by the participant. 7) Q: How were the offers selected? A: USDA used a competitive environmental benefits index (EBI) based on seven factors. The EBI factors were: (1) wildlife habitat benefits which encourage covers on contract acreage that will be most beneficial to wildlife; (2) water quality benefits from reduced erosion, runoff, and leaching; (3) on-farm benefits of reduced erosion; (4) likely long-term benefits beyond the contract period which recognizes that certain practices such as trees will provide environmental benefits beyond the contract period; (5) air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion; (6) benefits of enrollment in conservation priority areas where enrollment would contribute to the improvement of water quality, wildlife habitat, or air quality; and (7) cost. 8) Q: May land that was the subject of a bid and rejected for enrollment be re-offered during a later sign up? A: Yes. Land that meets basic eligibility criteria may be offered during any CRP sign up even if it was not accepted previously. The likelihood of acceptance could be increased by bidding less than the maximum payment rate for the acreage, agreeing to establish more beneficial cover, or limiting the offer to only the more environmentally sensitive acreage of a particular parcel of land. 9) Q: If not accepted under a new bid, must land coming out of CRP be farmed according to a conservation plan for the producer to maintain eligibility for benefits under certain USDA programs? A: Yes. If the acreage meets the applicable highly erodible land definition, a conservation plan will be required to retain eligibility for certain other USDA programs. 10) Q: If a bid is not accepted, when can a producer begin preparing the CRP land for crop production? A: Beginning July 1 in the final year of the contract, CRP participants may begin certain land preparation activities for fall-seeded crops. For 1997, in arid areas, land preparation approved for fall-seeded crops on certain CRP acreage may begin as early as May 1. Preparation of land for spring-seeded crops may begin with chemical burn down of cover during the summer. Beginning dates for this activity vary by region. All early land preparation activities must be applied under an approved conservation plan. Interested participants should contact their local FSA office for details regarding early land preparation policies in order to ensure they do not violate the terms and conditions of their CRP contract. 11) Q: When will the next general CRP sign up be held? A: The 16th Sign Up is scheduled to be held this year during the fall. 12) Q: How many offers were made? A: There were 252,751 offers. 13) Q: How many acres were offered for enrollment in the 15th Sign-Up? A: 23,260,397 acres were offered. 14) Q. Why is there a decrease in the amount of acres bid for the CRP that was announced shortly after the conclusion of the sign up and the amount announced today? A. The 25.6 million acre estimate announced in April changed to 23.2 million acres announced today after the bids were reviewed and those that were not eligible were deleted, and when a technical adjustment was made to the reporting process. 15) Q: What were the impacts of using the EBI? A: The EBI fostered competition, enhanced cover for wildlife habitat and long-term protection, and provided a quantitative basis for selection of the most environmentally sensitive acres. 16) Q: When can a CRP participant begin to establish the approved cover? A: CRP applicants with accepted offers may begin establishing the cover immediately. Producers who establish the cover before the CRP contract is approved do so at their own risk. 17) Q: When will producers and operators receive their first payments from land accepted into the 15th sign up of the CRP? A. Producers and operators will receive their first payment shortly after October 1, 1998. # 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