CREP

In a progress report, the Biden administration said on Monday that it has "made significant progress to support effective and enduring conservation strategies" en route to conserving 30 percent of U.S. land and waters by 2030. The "30 by 30" plan relies on locally led and voluntary stewardship but has been met in some regions with suspicion of a hidden federal motive.

With 22.1 million acres enrolled, the Conservation Reserve is often described as the largest federal land retirement program, paying landowners an annual rent in exchange for taking fragile land out of crop production for 10 or 15 years. "Over time, it has evolved more toward a working farmland program," said four university economists at the farmdoc daily blog.