1986-1990 Conservation Reserve Program; 1991-2002 Conservation Reserve Program

This interim rule modifies provisions for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) which were addressed in rules published on May 8, 1995 (60 FR 22456) and March 15, 1996 (61 FR 10671) concerning the opportunity for early release of certain acreage from the CRP. The modifications reflect new provisions enacted in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (1996 Act). This rule also sets out other modifications to reflect new provisions in the 1996 Act and to make technical corrections and other minor modifications to the rule. These additional modifications include: revisions of the ``contour grass strip'' and ``filterstrip'' definitions to remove size limitations; a correction of a landlord-tenant reference in the rule; a reassignment of provisions dealing with the preservation of cropland bases; and technical changes to reflect a Department of Agriculture (USDA) reorganization. Further, this rule also updates the base period for the cropping history needed to enter cropland into the CRP.