United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1995-02-21 monographic deposited born digital 74 p. GA 1.13:RCED-95-42 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42 P0b002ee1803732e3 f:rc95042 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42 RCED-95-42 Agricultural programs Soil conservation Land management Land leases Water resources conservation Environmental monitoring Agricultural production Pollution control Pesticides Farm income stabilization programs USDA Conservation Reserve Program USDA National Resources Inventory USDA Wetlands Reserve Program USDA Acreage Reduction Program USDA Agricultural Conservation Program Chapter Report RCED 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. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42.pdf GAO/RCED-95-42 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-42 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-95-42; Conservation Reserve Program: Alternatives Are Available for Managing Environmentally Sensitive Cropland; Agricultural programs Soil conservation Land management Land leases Water resources conservation Environmental monitoring Agricultural production Pollution control Pesticides Farm income stabilization programs USDA Conservation Reserve Program USDA National Resources Inventory USDA Wetlands Reserve Program USDA Acreage Reduction Program USDA Agricultural Conservation Program