Socioeconomic Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in North Dakota

Long-term land retirement is an important agricultural policy tool, particularly in the Great Plains States. This article examines the effects of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for participating landowners and for communities in areas with high CRP participation. Landowners generally felt that the CRP had produced substantial environmental benefits while providing income stability for participants. Community leaders also recognized the environmental and recreational benefits of the CRP, but were concerned about negative impacts on agricultural supply and service sector firms