The CRP Transition Incentives Program (CRP-TIP) offers a special incentive of two years of extra CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) rental payments to owners of land that are reconverting from the CRP back into production and who rent or sell their land on the condition they sell or rent this land to a beginning farmer or rancher or to a socially disadvantaged group who commit to using sustainable grazing practices, resource-conserving cropping systems, or transitioning to organic production.

CRP is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead devoted to conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource conserving vegetative species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve the water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Continuous signup contracts are 10 to 15 years in duration.

CRP protects millions of acres of American topsoil from erosion and is designed to safeguard the nation’s natural resources. By reducing water runoff and sedimentation, CRP protects groundwater and helps improve the condition of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. The vegetative covers also make CRP a major contributor to increased wildlife populations in many parts of the country.

The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes $50 million for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 for TIP. The Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, authorized CRP and is governed by regulations published in 7 CFR Part 1410.
FSA implements TIP and CRP on behalf of USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).