Complementary or Competitive? Emerging Interactions Between Restoration and Protection in the Conservation Reserve Program

The USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) delivers environmental benefits to society by enrolling cropland and grasslands to reestablish or safeguard long‐term vegetative cover. In recent years, the CRP has dramatically increased grassland enrollment while cropland enrollment has been in steady decline. This paper uses descriptive analysis, multivariate regression analysis, and a spatial comparison of participant incentives to assess the relationship between these two CRP signup types. We argue that while these two programs do not compete administratively under current trends, these enrollment patterns could tighten competition between the programs in future periods if total enrollment approaches a shared cap.