COMPARING PERFORMANCE OF THE 1985 AND THE 1990 CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAMS IN THE WEST

Despite its widespread popularity, the Conservation Reserve Program (C RP) has been criticized for its cost ineffectiveness in achieving soil conservation goals. The objective of this study was to compare bow th e more targeted revision of the CRP in the 1990 Farm Bill compares wit h the 1985 Farm Bill CRP in concentrating enrollment in highly erodibl e western U.S. counties. Correlations between CRP enrollment and erodi bility for counties in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington show that the 1990 CRP has been more successful than the 1985 CRP in concen trating enrollment in erodible counties. Fixed bid caps in the 1985 CR P often directed enrollment to counties with lower productivity and mo dest erodibility, which reduced cost-effectiveness. While the 1990 ref orms appear to have improved the targeting of the CRP the 1 million ba (2.5 million ac) 1990 CRP is small in terms of economic and environme ntal impact compared to the 14 million ba (34 million ac) 1985 CRP.