    Conservation Reserve Program: Alternatives Are Available for Managing
    Environmentally Sensitive Cropland (Chapter Report, 02/21/95,
    GAO/RCED-95-42).

    If not properly managed, agricultural production on the nation's 382
    million acres of cropland can harm water and air quality, soil
    productivity, and wildlife habitat.  Congress created the Conservation
    Reserve Program in 1985 to temporarily remove highly erodible surplus
    cropland from production.  The Agriculture Department has agreed to pay
    farmers nearly $20 billion to take more than 36 million acres out of
    production for 10 years.  These contracts begin to expire in 1995, with
    the contracts for most of the acres--22 million--expiring in 1996 and
    1997.  This report estimates the amount and the locations of land
    covered by the program and other environmentally sensitive cropland that
    should be removed from production for environmental reasons and
    discusses alternatives for managing this land.  GAO also presents
    information on Conservation Reserve Program land and other
    environmentally sensitive cropland that can remain in production.

    --------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

     REPORTNUM:  RCED-95-42
         TITLE:  Conservation Reserve Program: Alternatives Are Available
                 for Managing Environmentally Sensitive Cropland
          DATE:  02/21/95
       SUBJECT:  Agricultural programs
                 Soil conservation
                 Land management
                 Land leases
                 Water resources conservation
                 Environmental monitoring
                 Agricultural production
                 Pollution control
                 Pesticides
                 Farm income stabilization programs
    IDENTIFIER:  USDA Conservation Reserve Program
                 USDA National Resources Inventory
                 USDA Wetlands Reserve Program
                 USDA Acreage Reduction Program
                 USDA Agricultural Conservation Program