Land use decisions after the Conservation Reserve Program: Re-enrollment, reversion, and persistence in the southern Great Plains

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBarnes, Jessica C.en
dc.contributor.authorSketch, Maryen
dc.contributor.authorGramza, Ashley R.en
dc.contributor.authorSorice, Michael G.en
dc.contributor.authorIovanna, Richen
dc.contributor.authorDayer, Ashley A.en
dc.contributor.departmentFish and Wildlife Conservationen
dc.contributor.departmentForest Resources and Environmental Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2020-11-04T16:21:36Zen
dc.date.available2020-11-04T16:21:36Zen
dc.date.issued2020-07-23en
dc.description.abstractThe temperate grasslands of North America remain one of the most modified and threatened ecosystems on the planet. In the United States, the conservation of grassland-dependent wildlife continues to be challenged by the widespread conversion of privately owned grasslands to cropland. Recent analyses indicate that land exiting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the country's largest private lands conservation program, is a primary source of grassland conversion. In this mixed-methods study, we employed focus groups and mail surveys to understand the decisions made by landowners in the southern Great Plains as their CRP contracts near expiration and up to 7 years following expiration. We explored both the post-contract intentions of landowners with fields currently enrolled in CRP and the self-reported, post-contract decisions of landowners whose CRP contracts expired between 2011 and 2017. Interest in re-enrolling in CRP upon contract expiration was high among landowners with current fields; however, over half of landowners with former CRP fields reported being unable to re-enroll when they tried. We found higher rates of grassland persistence than have been previously reported, but also detected temporal patterns that suggest that cropland reversion is increasingly likely as the time since contract expiration increases. This study highlights the need for increased attention to the barriers that preclude transition into other conservation programs following CRP and more detailed understanding of what drives landowner decision-making about re-enrollment and post-CRP land use. These insights will be critical for increasing the effectiveness of programs for enduring grassland conservation on private lands.en
dc.description.notesUSDA Farm Service Agency through a USGS Cooperative Research Unit Research Work Orderen
dc.description.sponsorshipUSDA Farm Service Agency through a USGS Cooperative Research Unit Research Work Orderen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.254en
dc.identifier.eissn2578-4854en
dc.identifier.issue9en
dc.identifier.othere254en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/100789en
dc.identifier.volume2en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectConservation Reserve Programen
dc.subjectfinancial incentive programsen
dc.subjectgrasslandsen
dc.subjectGreat Plainsen
dc.subjecthabitat conservationen
dc.subjectlandowneren
dc.subjectpersistenceen
dc.subjectprivate landsen
dc.subjectreversionen
dc.titleLand use decisions after the Conservation Reserve Program: Re-enrollment, reversion, and persistence in the southern Great Plainsen
dc.title.serialConservation Science and Practiceen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
csp2.254.pdf
Size:
3.51 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download

Collections

Scholarly Works, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Scholarly Works, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation