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Conservation Reserve Program Amendments Act of 2023
12/15/2023, 4:07 PM
Summary of Bill S 1365
One of the key provisions of this bill is to increase the acreage cap for the CRP from 24 million acres to 30 million acres. This expansion will allow more farmers to participate in the program and help protect additional land from intensive agricultural practices. Additionally, the bill includes measures to prioritize enrollment of land that will provide the greatest environmental benefits, such as improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, and enhancing wildlife habitat.
Furthermore, the bill includes provisions to streamline the enrollment process for farmers, making it easier for them to participate in the program. It also includes measures to increase funding for technical assistance to help farmers implement conservation practices on their land. Overall, the Conservation Reserve Program Amendments Act of 2023 aims to strengthen and expand the CRP in order to promote conservation efforts and protect environmentally sensitive land across the United States.
Congressional Summary of S 1365
Conservation Reserve Program Amendments Act of 2023
This bill amends the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of the Farm Service Agency to provide for the enrollment of citrus land in the program. CRP is a land conservation program that provides an annual rental payment to farmers in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve environmental health and quality.
Specifically, the bill allows the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include cropland in the program that is otherwise ineligible if the land has been used to plant a citrus crop during the 10-year period preceding the date of the bill's enactment. USDA must enroll citrus land using existing continuous enrollment procedures.
USDA may give priority to citrus land that is at risk of conversion or development, is of ecological significance, or is affected by huanglongbing (i.e., citrus greening, a bacterial disease spread by an insect that is known as the Asian citrus psyllida and feeds on citrus). The total acreage of citrus land enrolled in the conservation reserve must not exceed 100,000 acres for each of FY2024-FY2028.
Further, the bill excludes citrus land from existing adjusted gross income limitations for payments or benefits under CRP.
