A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has introduced legislation aimed at improving the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)-a key federal initiative that compensates landowners for taking environmentally sensitive acres out of production.

The proposed Conservation Reserve Program Improvement and Flexibility Act includes sweeping updates to better reflect economic realities and strengthen the program's multiple-use value. Among the headline changes: raising the annual payment cap from $50,000 to $125,000, a limit that hasn't been adjusted since the CRP's inception in 1985.

"This commonsense legislation would help advance the multiple-use benefits of this conservation program, including wildlife habitat and livestock forage potential," said Thune in a statement.

The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), signaling broad bipartisan backing.

In addition to the increased payment cap, the legislation would:

• Provide cost-share funding for grazing infrastructure, including fencing and water tanks.

• Simplify haying on enrolled lands during droughts, improving emergency flexibility.

• Expand support for planting trees and creating wetlands, enhancing wildlife habitat and soil health.

The proposal responds to widespread calls from the ag community for a modernized CRP that better serves both conservation goals and working lands. "When land sits idle, it doesn't just go unused-it declines, and so do the small towns and rural communities that depend on active land management," said Warren Symens, president of the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association.

Wildlife groups have also welcomed the legislation. Andrew Schmidt of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever noted that these changes will "make this critical program work better for farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and wildlife."

As of last year, CRP contracts covered nearly 2.4 million acres in South Dakota alone, with annual payments totaling $137 million-an average of $57.40 per acre.

If passed, the bill would become a cornerstone update in the upcoming farm bill negotiations, enhancing the value and reach of a program that has long stood at the intersection of agriculture, conservation, and rural development.