contributed…..Mauston, WI, May 29, 2013 – Jon Williams, director of the Juneau County Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Mauston, reminds everyone that General CRP signup #45 ends June 14, 2013. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest voluntary private-land conservation program. It helps farmers and other agricultural producers use their environmentally sensitive land for conservation purposes. CRP assists in creating new wildlife habitat, enhancing water, soil, and air quality through a variety of covers that can be established. In return for offering the land, the Farm Service Agency provides participants annual rental payments, cost share and technical assistance. The maximum rental rates for acres offered are determined by the soil types associated with the land being offered. “The rental rates have been adjusted over the years and are very competitive with the rental rates being offered for cropland” according to Williams. ”New producers who have land they feel might be eligible, along with those that have CRP contracts that expire this October or that expired last October can also check out their options in this signup,” Williams stated. Persons interested in making an offer of expiring CRP acreage or new land during the general signup must complete their offer by the June 14th deadline so they will need to make an appointment as soon as possible. To make an appointment to offer land into CRP or for more information about the Conservation Reserve Program, please contact the Juneau County FSA office at (608) 847-7221 Ext 2 or access the website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.