Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary conservation program that emphasizes support for working grazing operations, enhancement of plant and animal biodiversity, and protection of eligible grassland under threat of conversion to other land uses. Participants voluntarily limit future development and cropping uses of the land while retaining the right to conduct common grazing practices and operations related to the production of forage and seed.

Iowa 2009 GRP Signup and Eligibility

GRP is available on privately owned lands, including Tribal land. Publicly owned land is not eligible. Land already under protection from the conversion to non-grazing uses is not eligible. The 40-acre minimum enrollment requirement was removed in the 2008 Act. USDA is providing $983,000 to Iowa for GRP enrollments in either permanent easements, or 10-, 15-, or 20-year rental contracts. The application process for GRP is under a continuous sign-up and applications are now being accepted at USDA Service Center offices throughout Iowa. Applications will be taken on Form AD-1153 by either FSA (Farm Service Agency) or NRCS. Landowners must submit applications on or before July 10, 2009 to receive consideration for the first round of funding in fiscal year 2009.

Enrollment and ranking criteria for 2009 will take into consideration:

• Grazing operations
• Protection of eligible acres under the highest threat of conversion to uses other than grazing or forage uses
• CRP contracts eligible to expire within 12 months that have a threat for conversion to other uses
• Plant and animal biodiversity

Participant Eligibility

To be eligible for GRP, an applicant must be:

• a landowner for permanent easement participation, or
• have control of the eligible acres for 10-, 15-, or 20-year contract participation.

In addition, the participant must agree to provide such information to USDA that is necessary for determining eligibility for program benefits. The participant will be required to meet adjusted gross income and conservation compliance requirements.

News Release - NRCS Announces Grassland Reserve Program Signup (June 16, 2009)

Additional GRP Information

These documents may require Adobe Acrobat.

• Job Sheet    Coming Soon!
• Key Points (PDF 50 KB)
• NRCS Form AD-1153 (Application for Long-term Contract)
• 2009 Iowa GRP Ranking Worksheet (XLS, 31 KB)
• 2008 Farm Bill Interim Final Rule (PDF, 193 KB)
• 2008 Cost Benefit Analysis (PDF, 218 KB)
• 2008 FONSI (PDF, 19 KB)
• 2008 Environmental Assessment (PDF, 1.8MB)

Iowa GRP Program Contact:
Paul Goldsmith, District Conservationist
Phone: 641-782-4218
 

<Go Back to Iowa NRCS Programs