Bill > HR2758

This bill amends the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a voluntary land conservation initiative that provides financial incentives to farmers and landowners who remove environmentally sensitive agricultural land from production. The bill introduces several key modifications to the existing program, including allowing more flexibility in land use by permitting dryland agricultural uses and grazing on reserved lands, and enabling participants to allocate annual payments variably across the agreement period. For agreements involving permanent water rights retirement, the bill establishes that payment rates will be equal to irrigated acre rates. Additionally, the bill modifies payment calculations for agreements that permit dryland agricultural uses, with payments based on the difference between irrigated and dryland acre rates. The legislation also retroactively adjusts payment rates for existing agreements to ensure fair compensation. Furthermore, the bill expands the types of agricultural lands eligible for the program, including lands with continuous crop or crop rotation, and removes certain payment limitations for CREP rental payments. These changes aim to make the conservation program more adaptable, financially attractive, and supportive of sustainable agricultural practices.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2758/all-info