The deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program 2020 general signup is Feb. 28.

This signup is available to farmers and private landowners who are either enrolling for the first time or re-enrolling for another 10- to 15-year term.

CRP has 22 million acres currently enrolled. The 2018 Farm Bill lifted the cap to 27 million acres.

“This is the first opportunity for general sign up since 2016, and we want producers and private landowners to know that we have just one month remaining,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce in a Jan. 29 statement. “It is critical that they make their final determinations and submit offers very soon to take advantage of this popular conservation program.”

Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive yearly rental payments for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, which can control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands.

The CRP continuous signup is ongoing, which enables producers to enroll for certain practices. FSA plans to open the Soil Health and Income Protection Program, a CRP pilot program, in early 2020, and the 2020 CRP Grasslands signup runs from March 16 to May 15. To enroll in CRP, contact the local FSA county office or visit fsa.usda.gov/crp.

Signed into law in 1985, CRP was intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. Marking its 35^th anniversary in 2020, according to an FSA statement, CRP has done a lot, including: