WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is distributing approximately $1.8 billion in conservation payments to farmers and landowners for 2026, while expanding a program that keeps grazing land in agricultural production as the administration seeks to strengthen the domestic cattle industry.
The payments, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, cover participation in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and its Grassland CRP component, which compensates landowners for maintaining eligible acreage under conservation agreements.
USDA accepted offers covering nearly 1 million new acres under Grassland CRP during the 2026 enrollment period. The program provides rental payments and cost-sharing assistance to preserve grasslands while allowing most grazing and haying activities to continue.
Following the latest enrollment, Grassland CRP is expected to represent more than 40% of all acreage participating in the broader conservation program.
The expansion is part of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ Ranchers First Initiative, which includes measures intended to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd and support domestic ranching operations.
“As we continue to work to rebuild the American cattle herd, today’s announcement will help continue this effort by protecting nearly one million acres of grazing land for our ranchers,” Rollins said.
Unlike traditional CRP arrangements that generally remove environmentally sensitive acreage from agricultural production, Grassland CRP allows landowners to maintain working pastureland while meeting conservation requirements.
The program is designed to protect grassland resources without eliminating their use for livestock production.
Across all CRP categories, USDA expects enrollment to reach 26.8 million acres in fiscal 2027 after accepting offers covering 2.2 million acres through Grassland, General and Continuous CRP enrollment during 2026.
The broader program provides annual rental payments to producers and private landowners who establish or maintain long-term vegetation intended to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and preserve wildlife habitat.
Those payments also provide participating agricultural businesses with a recurring source of income tied to land conservation.
Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Missouri ranked as the five leading states for CRP payments in 2026, according to USDA.
Richard Fordyce, under secretary for farm production and conservation, said the payments support voluntary land stewardship while allowing producers to maintain their agricultural operations.
Farmers and landowners seeking information about eligibility and conservation agreements can visit fsa.usda.gov/crp or contact their local Farm Service Agency office.
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