The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides technical and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands. In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production for a period of time and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Contracts for land enrolled in CRP are from 10 to 15 years in length. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.

The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). CRP is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS providing technical land eligibility determinations, conservation planning, and practice implementation assistance.

CRP is authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985 and was reauthorized by the
Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). This page links to the statute text for CRP.