Bill > HR6388

This bill modifies the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a voluntary land conservation program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by expanding the types of eligible lands that can be enrolled and adjusting payment structures. The bill introduces new definitions for terms like "conservation buffer" (practices that benefit water quality or resources, such as grass waterways, riparian buffers, and wetlands) and "eligible land," which now includes cropland with certain soil capability classifications, grasslands, and marginal pasture lands. The legislation allows for enrollment of lands that can address water quality, water conservation, and wildlife habitat concerns, including areas with ecological significance. The bill also changes cost-sharing payment mechanisms, with the Secretary of Agriculture now authorized to pay 50 percent of costs for activities like establishing permanent vegetation, erosion control, and installing protective fencing. Additionally, the bill modifies annual rental payment structures for reenrolled lands, gradually reducing the rental rate percentage with subsequent reenrollments, and establishes different rental rate limitations based on the land's soil capability class, ensuring more nuanced and potentially lower payments for higher-quality agricultural lands while maintaining competitive rates for lands with lower agricultural potential.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6388/all-info