Minnesota, South Dakota U.S. senators file conservation bill

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Bipartisan Senate bill aims to improve the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Proposed changes include raising the maximum annual payment for landowners from $50,000 to $125,000 and providing cost-share for grazing infrastructure.

Supporters believe the changes will encourage more landowners to enroll in the program, benefiting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and wildlife.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, introduced legislation recently to improve a federal conservation program with changes including a higher maximum annual payment for landowners.

The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers and ranchers to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and maintain grass, tre