The Conservation Reserve Program is a voluntary land conservation program established in 1985. Its long term goal is to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat through the removal of environmentally sensitive lands from agricultural production. The contracts through the Farm Service Administration (FSA) provide yearly rental payments to farmers who enroll in the program. These contracts are ten to fifteen years in length and insure improvements in environmental health and quality through the conversion of agricultural land back to natural or semi-natural vegetative cover.
