Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) - North Carolina

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary conservation program that emphasizes support for working grazing operations, enhancement of plant and animal biodiversity, and protection of grassland under threat of conversion to other uses.

Participants voluntarily limit future development and cropping uses of the land while retaining the right to conduct common grazing practices and operations related to the production of forage and seeding.  A grazing management plan developed by NRCS, in conjunction with the participant, is also required.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the GRP program on a continuous basis at all of its offices in North Carolina. 

Participants must establish their eligibility for USDA program benefits and file an application for GRP (form AD-1153) at their local NRCS office.  A directory of NRCS offices is provided at: http://www.nc.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/directory/

On Monday May 26, 2009 the NRCS will batch the applications it has received, rank them and begin to make offers of enrollment on a priority basis until the state’s program allocation funding is fully committed.

Priorities for GRP in North Carolina Include:

• Permanent easements.
• Grazing land managed to balance forage demand with land capability.
• Grazing land managed to provide year-round grazing using diverse forages.
• Grazing land under threat of conversion to other uses.
• Grazing land that support high quality water or exemplary habitats.
• Partnerships that extend GRP’s reach by reducing NRCS cost to enroll land.

• National program information, fact sheets, and other information

• GRP Rules, procedures, and forms specific to North Carolina

Program Contact

Steve Woodruff, Conservation Agronomist (919) 873-2133

Last Modified 05/26/2009