The Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program that helps landowners and operators restore and protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. The program emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under the greatest threat of conversion.

“Grasslands provide critical ecological benefits and play a key role in environmental quality, as well as contributing to the economies of many rural areas,” said Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. “This voluntary program helps protect valuable grasslands from conversion to other land uses, thus helping to ensure this national resource is available to future generations.”
Grasslands make up the largest land cover on America's private lands. Privately-owned grasslands and shrublands cover more than 525 million acres in the United States. For the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will direct financial resources and technical expertise to help landowners protect and restore these lands.

Section 2401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize this program.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Forest Service are coordinating implementation of GRP, which helps landowners restore and protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrubland and certain other lands and provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands. The program will conserve vulnerable grasslands from conversion to cropland or other uses and conserve valuable grasslands by helping maintain viable ranching operations.

-- Source: NRCS / Florida NRCS

Available Resources

Florida GRP Ranking System Instructions
7 CFR 1415, March 6, 2006 (102.18 KB), Final Rule
Cost Benefit Analysis (78.00 KB)
Fact Sheet (31.93 KB)
Questions and Answers (42.18 KB)
Key Points (39.22 KB)
GRP NEPA Documents (On NRCS Web Site)
Grassland Reserve Program, Section 2401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) (Farm Bill Network)

GRP Sign Up Information is Now On-Line!

GRP Sign-up information is now available online. Click on the link below to take you to the application information for that State, the official ranking criteria used to evaluate your application, and a links to other information of interest to a specific region, State, or area.

The Following Forms Are Available Online

Form AD-1153, Application for Long-Term Contracted Assistance
Form AD-1161, Application for Payment
USDA Service Center EForms Web Site - for instructions and information

Florida Program Contact

Greg Hendricks, State Resource Conservationist, 352-338-9543