Arkansas Highlights

• The Conservation Reserve Program is the largest environmental program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with enrollment exceeding 34 million acres across all 50 states. In Arkansas, more than 202,000 acres on 2,594 farms are in the CRP. Based on average rental payments, the CRP brings in more than $10 million per year to the Arkansas farm economy. Improvement in program performance is an enduring goal of CRP administrators. For the past 7 years, and continuing into FY05 and beyond, scientists from the USGS Fort Collins Science Center (Colorado) have been working in partnership with the USDA Farm Service Agency to help improve program performance by evaluating both social (how is it working for CRP contractees?) and ecological (how is wildlife habitat improved?) implications of the program. For more information, see the report entitled, "A national survey of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants on environmental effects, wildlife issues, and vegetation management on program lands."