Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program
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| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Farm Service Agency |
| Top Organization | Department of Agriculture |
| Creation Legislation | Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program aimed to provide long-term protection for environmentally sensitive agricultural lands through voluntary landowner contracts. It sought to enhance soil, water, and wildlife resources by integrating programs like the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program under one framework. |
| Program Start | 1990 |
| Initial Funding | Congressional appropriations |
| Duration | 1990-2002 |
| Historic | No |
Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program (ECARP) was a Department of Agriculture initiative that provided long-term protection for environmentally sensitive agricultural lands by encouraging landowners to retire such lands from production through voluntary contracts and easements. Established as an umbrella program, it included the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), offering rental payments and cost-share assistance to conserve soil, water, and wildlife habitat across millions of acres until its replacement in 2002.[1] The Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program has transitioned into the Comprehensive Conservation Enhancement Program (CCEP) under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.
Goals
- Conserved environmentally sensitive lands by removing them from agricultural production.[2]
- Enhanced soil quality, water resources, and wildlife habitat through long-term vegetative cover and easements.
- Integrated existing conservation efforts under a unified framework to maximize environmental benefits.
Organization
The Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program was sponsored by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) within the Department of Agriculture, with technical support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It was funded through Congressional appropriations, with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) providing financial backing for contracts, easements, and cost-share payments to landowners.[3] The program coordinated CRP and WRP, relying on local FSA offices to manage enrollment and compliance.
The leader of the program at the Department of Agriculture level was the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, though specific names from the 1990-2002 period are not consistently documented.
History
The Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program was established in 1990 under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to address growing environmental concerns about soil erosion, water quality, and habitat loss on agricultural lands.[4] It emerged as an umbrella program to streamline the Conservation Reserve Program (launched 1985) and the newly created Wetlands Reserve Program, peaking with millions of acres enrolled by the mid-1990s. Its scope expanded with the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, which added the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) under its framework. It operated until 2002, when the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 replaced it with the Comprehensive Conservation Enhancement Program (CCEP) to further refine conservation efforts.
Funding
Initial funding in 1990 came from Congressional appropriations, though exact amounts for ECARP’s launch are not separately detailed from broader USDA conservation budgets.[5] Funding began in 1990 and continued through 2002, supporting rental payments and cost-share assistance (up to 50% of practice costs) for CRP and WRP participants. By its end, it had facilitated billions in payments across its sub-programs, with funding ending in 2002 as it transitioned to CCEP. Detailed budgets were managed through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Implementation
The program was carried out through voluntary landowner contracts, typically lasting 10-15 years, managed by local FSA offices with NRCS technical assistance.[6] Landowners enrolled eligible lands (e.g., highly erodible or wetland areas) via general or continuous signups, planting resource-conserving covers like grasses or trees. It ended in 2002 with the transition to CCEP, concluding its 12-year run.
Related
External links
- https://www.fsa.usda.gov/
- https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ - NRCS technical assistance overview
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/conservation-programs/ - USDA conservation program history
- wikipedia:Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program
Social media
References
- ↑ "Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Conservation_Acreage_Reserve_Program, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Conservation Programs," USDA Economic Research Service, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/conservation-programs/, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Conservation Reserve Program," USDA Farm Service Agency, https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Conservation_Acreage_Reserve_Program, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Conservation Programs," USDA Economic Research Service, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/conservation-programs/, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Conservation Reserve Program," USDA Farm Service Agency, https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/, accessed February 19, 2025.