Rushmore State News

U.S. Senators John Thune, Amy Klobuchar, Jerry Moran, and Tina Smith have introduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Improvement and Flexibility Act. The proposed legislation aims to enhance the CRP by improving access to grazing, increasing enrollment options for agricultural producers, and speeding up emergency haying during droughts or other weather-related disasters.

“Ensuring that CRP continues to be an effective option for producers and landowners is critical to South Dakota’s agriculture industry,” said Thune. “As a longtime supporter of CRP, I’m proud to lead this commonsense legislation that would help advance the multiple-use benefits of this conservation program, including wildlife habitat and livestock forage potential.”

Klobuchar emphasized the importance of conservation efforts for farmers: “The Conservation Reserve Program helps equip our farmers with the tools to conserve and improve soil, water quality, and wildlife habitat. This bipartisan legislation makes commonsense improvements to CRP that will strengthen conservation practices and landowner enrollment in this vital program.”

Warren Symens, president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA), highlighted the role of cattle in maintaining grassland health: “When land sits idle, it doesn’t just go unused, it declines, and so do the small towns and rural communities that depend on active land management. Cattle are key to grassland health – enhancing habitat, improving water infiltration, and supporting carbon sequestration through grazing. Investing in fence and water infrastructure needed to graze CRP acres strengthens soil and gives producers a lifeline during drought, helping them keep their herds instead of selling off herds. SDCA thanks Senators Thune and Klobuchar for leading the charge on this important issue.”

Tom Landmark from South Dakota Ducks Unlimited added support for enhancements: “The Conservation Reserve Program is an important, incentive-based program that provides flexibility for farmers and ranchers to implement voluntary conservation practices on their land. We thank Senators Thune and Klobuchar for their leadership in enhancing CRP to ensure landowners can continue to get the most out of this historically successful program in South Dakota, Minnesota, and across the U.S.”

Andrew Schmidt from Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) described CRP as essential: “The Conservation Reserve Program is one of our nation’s most effective tools for improving wildlife habitat, water quality, and soil health on private lands, and is a vital part of the farm safety net. The CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act will make this critical program work better for farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and wildlife. PF and QF are grateful to Majority Leader Thune and Ranking Member Klobuchar for their continued leadership in strengthening CRP and ensuring it remains a cornerstone of private lands conservation.”

If enacted into law, the bill would make several changes:

- Provide cost-share funding for establishing grazing infrastructure such as fencing or water distribution systems if grazing is included in approved plans.

- Raise the annual payment cap from $50,000—set in 1985—to $125,000 due to inflation.

- Reinstate payments supporting mid-contract management activities not related to haying or grazing.

- Permanently establish State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement under Continuous CRP.

- Allow more flexibility by permitting emergency haying when certain conditions are met with input from state technical committees.