Bill > S1389

This bill amends the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a voluntary land conservation program that helps farmers and ranchers protect environmentally sensitive land. The bill makes several key modifications: it allows more flexibility in land use by permitting dryland agricultural uses and grazing on enrolled lands, introduces a variable payment allocation option where landowners can determine annual payment amounts, and establishes new payment rate calculations for agreements involving water rights retirement or dryland agricultural uses. The bill also expands the types of agricultural land eligible for the program, including land with continuous crop rotations, and requires (rather than allows) certain program agreements. Additionally, the bill provides an exemption from payment limitations for CREP rental payments, which means farmers can receive these payments without being constrained by typical agricultural payment caps. These changes aim to make the conservation program more adaptable, financially attractive, and beneficial for agricultural landowners while maintaining environmental conservation goals.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1389/all-info