Contrasting Working-Land and Land Retirement Programs

by Marcel Aillery

A multitude of design decisions influence the performance of voluntary conservation programs. This Economic Brief is one of a set of five exploring the implications of decisions policymakers and program managers must make about who is eligible to receive payments, how much can be received, for what action, and the means by which applicants are selected. In particular, this Brief focuses on potential tradeoffs in balancing land retirement with conservation on working lands.

Keywords: Conservation programs, land retirement, working lands, agri-environmental policy, Conservation Reserve Program, CRP, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, environmental benefits, cost-effectiveness, conservation program design

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