Grasslands Reserve Program
The Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) was a United States government program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, that provided financial assistance to farmers and landowners to restore grasslands.[1] The 2002 farm bill authorized enrollment of 2 million acres (8,100 km2) of restored or improved grassland, range land and pastureland under temporary and permanent easements, or contracts of at least 10 years.[2] Under the GRP enrolled land must be in parcels that exceed 40 acres (160,000 m2). Technical assistance was provided to restore grasslands. A total of $254 million in mandatory funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) was provided between Fiscal Years 2003 and 2007. It also provided cost sharing payments at 75% to restore disturbed grasslands and 90% to protect virgin grasslands.
Congress, in the 2014 Farm Bill, consolidated the GRP into the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.[1][3]
References
- "Grassland Reserve Program". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
- United States. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Pub.L. 107–171 (text) (pdf). Sec. 2401. Approved 2002-05-13.
- United States. Agricultural Act of 2014. Pub.L. 113–79 (text) (pdf) Approved 2014-02-07.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Congressional Research Service document: Jasper Womach. "Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition" (PDF).