{"id":11651,"date":"2026-10-16T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/?p=11651"},"modified":"2026-10-14T11:41:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T15:41:22","slug":"the-farm-bill-and-crp-what-washington-landowners-need-to-know-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/the-farm-bill-and-crp-what-washington-landowners-need-to-know-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The Farm Bill and CRP: What Washington Landowners Need to Know Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have ground in the Conservation Reserve Program, or are planning to enroll or re-enroll, this one is for you. On September 30, 2026, the last extension of the 2018 Farm Bill ran out, and Congress did not pass a new farm bill or another extension in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most immediate result for landowners is simple: USDA cannot approve new CRP contracts or re-enrollments until Congress acts.<\/strong> Your existing contract is still in force, but anyone with acres coming out of the program is now waiting on Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why CRP matters so much here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CRP pays landowners an annual rent to take environmentally sensitive cropland out of production and keep it in grass or other cover, usually under 10- to 15-year contracts. For many Washington families, that check is a steady part of the farm’s income and a major factor in what a property is worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CRP is especially important in our part of the state. Think of the light, highly erodible soils and low rainfall in the Columbia Basin (Adams, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln and Benton counties), the wind erosion problems in the Horse Heaven Hills, and the steep dryland wheat ground of the Palouse and southeast Washington, including Columbia, Garfield, Asotin and Whitman counties. Douglas County also has a large share of its cropland enrolled, much of it for wildlife habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the lapse means for you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have an active CRP contract:<\/strong> You should still be paid. On October 8, USDA announced about $1.8 billion in 2026 payments for existing CRP and Grassland CRP contracts. Contracts approved by close of business September 30 are still being administered, though county offices now need state office approval for some actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your contract expired or is about to:<\/strong> This is where it hurts. Farm Service Agency has said it has \u201cno statutory authority to approve contracts after Sept. 30.\u201d Nationally, nearly 1.6 million CRP acres were set to expire right as the authority ran out. Until Congress acts, those acres cannot be re-enrolled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were hoping to enroll new ground:<\/strong> New sign-ups are on hold. As of this writing, there is no date for when enrollment will reopen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington issues worth watching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers<\/a> has laid out several CRP problems that hit our state hard. A few that matter most to landowners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n