By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Steve Maurer, Ohio FSA executive director, announced that the Ohio deadline for accepting applications for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is March 18 for applicants to submit offers for GRP easement and GRP rental contracts.

The program is available in all 50 states, but the signup deadline will vary from state to state.

The GRP is a jointly administered program between FSA and the Natural Resources Conservation Services, Maurer said.

The GRP was revitalized as part of the 2008 Farm Bill with a goal of enrolling 1.2 acres nationwide. The purpose of GRP is to assist landowners and operators to protect grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving and restoring grassland on eligible private land.

“The program is kind of like the conservation reserve program except that it is focused on grassland—pasture land that is in grazing rather than land that is in crops,” Maurer said.

“The preference is to working-grazing operations and land that has historically been dominated by grassland. Most of this would be in the west but certainly we have areas in Ohio that are grazed a lot and this may be of some use to some producers.

Also it can work with land that is expiring from CRP by the end of September this year.”

Only landowners may voluntarily apply for GRP easements, Maurer said. Either owners or operators may apply for GRP rental contracts as long as the operator can provide proper documents to show control of rental acres during the entire contract period. Rental rates vary from state to state. Participants must meet adjusted gross income requirements, must be in conservation compliance, and cannot exceed the $50,000 payment limitation.

Interested landowners and operators should visit their local USDA Service Center to learn more about enrolling in the GRP or other conservation programs.