A federal program that pays farmers not to plant crops for years at a time could be more closely tied to environmental benefits, according to a congressional report.
The Government Accountability Office said tweaks to the Conservation Reserve Program could help the Agriculture Department ensure that it’s being used in the most environmentally friendly way.
Specifically, the investigative arm of Congress said the USDA should rely more on scientific information — rather than staff recommendations — to decide which CRP applications have the greatest environmental rewards.
In addition, the GAO said, officials should periodically review the department’s methods for accepting CRP applications and report regularly on the environmental benefits tied to specific types of enrollment, such as for grasslands.
