USDA Issuing About $1.8 Billion in 2026 Conservation Reserve Program Rental Payments; Nearly 1 Million New Acres of Grassland CRP Accepted for Ranchers

Who gets paid and why

• CRP pays annual rent to landowners who take sensitive land out of crop production and keep it in long-term, resource-conserving cover such as grass or trees.
• USDA says CRP reduces soil erosion, improves water quality and adds wildlife habitat, and that the rent gives participants a steady income stream.
• Grassland CRP is a working-lands version. Participants protect grassland but can keep most grazing and haying.

The numbers USDA released

• About $1.8 billion in 2026 annual rental payments through CRP and Grassland CRP.
• Nearly 1 million new acres of Grassland CRP accepted this year.
• After 2026 enrollment, USDA expects Grassland CRP to make up more than 40% of all CRP acres.
• FSA accepted offers on 2.2 million acres through the Grassland, General and Continuous CRP signups for 2026.
• For fiscal year 2027, a total of 26.8 million acres will be enrolled in CRP.
• Top five states for 2026 payments: Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Missouri.

USDA tied the Grassland CRP payments to its "Ranchers First" effort to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the payments protect "nearly one million acres of grazing land for our ranchers."

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What landowners should do

• Questions about a specific contract or payment go to your local FSA county office.
• Program details are at fsa.usda.gov/crp.
• CRP payments are federal program income. Talk to a tax professional about how they affect your return.

Source

• U.S. Department of Agriculture press release, "USDA Announces $1.8 Billion in 2026 Conservation Program Payments," Washington, D.C., October 8, 2026 (usda.gov).

Notes and sources

1. Image: A USDA NRCS grassland specialist and a southwestern Missouri rancher check pasture grass (file photo, illustrative of grassland conservation). Photo: Charlie Rahm, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
2. Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
3. Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending — fill xPostUrl after live post).
4. Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).