SCARBOROUGH – Farmers who want to retire cropland acres from production, yet enhance the land through conservation stewardship, will have the option to enroll their land into the Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Program. Sign-up for the voluntary conservation program will begin Aug. 30 and run through Sept. 24.

The program partners with farmers to protect fragile cropland. Participants retire environmentally sensitive cropland acres from agricultural production and plant permanent vegetative covers of grass and trees. Plantings safeguard topsoil from erosion, provide food and habitat for wildlife and protect ground and surface water from runoff and sedimentation.

In exchange for entering into the 10- to 15-year contracts, participants receive annual rental and maintenance payments along with a payment of up to 50 percent of the cost of establishing conservation practices.

“Farmers need to realize that getting their land enrolled into CRP is a highly competitive process,” said Michael Tardy, director of the Cumberland/York County FSA office.

He said, “There are currently 34.8 million acres enrolled in the program. With a ceiling set at 39 million acres and expiring contracts eligible for re-enrollment, new acres entering into the program must demonstrate value to the taxpayer in terms of rental rates and environmental benefits.”

To be eligible, a producer must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months prior to close of the sign-up period, however exceptions are allowed in certain cases.

The cropland must have be planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity four of the six crop years between 1996 and 2001 and capable of being planted to an agricultural commodity today.

In addition, cropland must be determined to be either “highly erodible” due to the steepness of the ground and its soil characteristics or located in a national or state CRP conservation priority area.

Acres currently enrolled and set to expire Sept. 30, 2004 or 2005, are automatically eligible for program consideration, however enrollment is not automatic. Those acres will still compete against new offers and the millions of other re-enrolled acres for contract consideration.

The agency will use the Environmental Benefits Index to rank the acreage offered. The index is based on costs and factors such as soil erosion, water quality, enduring benefits, air quality and wildlife enhancement.

Offers accepted under the sign-up will become effective Oct. 1, 2005, or Oct. 1, 2006, at the producer’s discretion. Detailed information is available at the agency office and on the Web at www.fsa.usda.gove/dafp/cepd/crpinfo.htm.