The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program that assists farmers and ranchers to maintain grasslands as grazing land and prevent conversion of grassland into other uses, such as cropping or urban development. The program focuses on supporting working grazing operations, protecting grassland, and enhancing biodiversity through provision of habitat. Normal haying and grazing activities are allowed under GRP. Producers must also restore and maintain appropriate grasses, forbs, and shrubs and address resource concerns such as soil erosion. The 2002 Farm Bill established the GRP, which is administered jointly by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, and the Forest Service.
The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246, was passed on June 18th 2008, over the veto of President George W. Bush. Despite protracted debate, the FCEA represents an evolutionary change in farm legislation relative to previous so called Farm Bills. The FCEA consists of fifteen titles: (1) commodity programs, (2) conservation, (3) trade, (4) nutrition, (5) credit, (6) rural development, (7) research and related matters, (8) forestry, (9) energy, (10) horticulture and organic agriculture, (11) livestock, (12) crop insurance and disaster assistance, (13) commodity futures, (14) miscellaneous programs, and (15) trade and tax provisions. This overview document will examine the programs under Title II: Conservation of the 2008 Farm Bill, representing some 11% of anticipated expenditures.
Congress established the Farmland Protection Program (FPP) in the 1996 Farm Bill to limit nonagricultural uses of certain agricultural lands. The program was renamed the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) for the 2002 Farm Bill, and changed back to the FPP in 2008. The objective of the Farmland Protection Program is to help farmers and ranchers keep their working agricultural land in agriculture. Producers voluntarily sell conservation easements for their land in exchange for rental payments. Purchasing organizations for the conservation easements include the USDA itself, state and governmental organizations.
