The Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) was a United States government program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, that provided financial assistance to farmers and landowners to restore grasslands.[1] The 2002 farm bill authorized enrollment of 2e6acre of restored or improved grassland, range land and pastureland under temporary and permanent easements, or contracts of at least 10 years.[2] Under the GRP enrolled land must be in parcels that exceed 40acres. Technical assistance was provided to restore grasslands. A total of $254 million in mandatory funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) was provided between Fiscal Years 2003 and 2007. It also provided cost sharing payments at 75% to restore disturbed grasslands and 90% to protect virgin grasslands.
Congress, in the 2014 Farm Bill, consolidated the GRP into the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.[1] [3]