Grassland Reserve Program

Last Modified: 01/09/2012

General Program Description

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program that helps landowners and operators restore and protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands.

Emphasis for enrollment into the program is on support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands under the greatest threat of conversion.

The GRP was reauthorized in the 2008 Farm Bill and is administered jointly by the USDA-NRCS and the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service.

Landowners and operators may enroll land in the GRP under a permanent easement or a rental contract for a period of 10, 15 or 20 years. Applications for permanent easements must be accompanied by the landowner's deed. Persons leasing grazing lands may enroll in rental contracts

with a written lease for the same period as the contract. Applications may be submitted to the NRCS or the FSA at any time during the year at the local USDA Service Center.

GRP applications are accepted on a continual basis.

If you encounter any problems with the files provided on this page, please contact Webmaster at 254-742-9953 or 254-239-6035.

The documents on this page require Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Excel.

Rental Rates (XLS; 35 Kb) 

GRP Conservation Easement (PDF; 37 Kb)

2012 GRP Geographic Area Rate Cap - Map (PDF; 385 Kb)

Example FY2012 Easement Ranking Worksheet (PDF; 102 Kb)

Example FY2012 Rental Contract Ranking Worksheet (PDF; 99 Kb)

For Additional Information

The National NRCS Grassland Reserve Program website.

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