Enrolled acres benefit America’s wildlife habitat, producers and rural communities

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the acceptance of 2.2 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2026. Enrollments include the General, Continuous and Grassland CRP programs, and will help bolster agriculture, wildlife habitat, hunting opportunities and rural communities throughout the upland range and beyond.    

“For more than 40 years, CRP has been a cornerstone of the farm safety net, helping producers manage risk while delivering unmatched benefits for wildlife habitat, soil health and water quality,” said Andrew Schmidt, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s director of government affairs. “This year’s CRP signup results are a testament to the continued demand from farmers and ranchers for conservation opportunities that work for their operations. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever thank USDA for their leadership in delivering this important program.”  

According to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), producers and landowners submitted offers on nearly 2.5 million acres throughout CRP signups. Since the program’s total acreage is capped at 27 million acres for fiscal year 2026, only 2.2 million acres were available for enrollment, creating a highly competitive process for those who submitted offers for CRP. The top states for accepted CRP acres include Nebraska, Colorado and South Dakota.  

“The Conservation Reserve Program continues to demonstrate the strength of voluntary, producer-led conservation across the country,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “The success of the 2026 enrollment period reflects USDA’s Farmers First commitment and the dedication of America’s farmers and ranchers to protecting our natural resources.”   

Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, CRP is one of the most successful voluntary private lands conservation programs in the United States. Designed to address widespread economic and environmental challenges in rural America, CRP emerged as a solution to soil erosion, declining water quality and farm income instability. The program has since evolved to provide numerous conservation, recreational and economic benefits, while remaining a key piece of the farm safety net.