Examining the discontinuation of the Conservation Reserve Program in the South Atlantic Gulf States

Benjamin C. Townsend, Parag Kadam, Puneet Dwivedi and Ashok K. Chaudhary

Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 362-377

Abstract: Strategic conservation will be crucial to ensure environmental sustainability in the South Atlantic Gulf of the United States, as climate change is expected to drastically alter both human and natural landscapes in the region. With a substantial proportion of land in the region being privately owned, the South Atlantic Gulf represents a prime opportunity for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a popular federal conservation programme. Since the programme is voluntary, studies have identified the factors influencing enrolment of landowners. However, a limited number of studies have focused on re-enrolment in CRP, which is critical to ensure the continuation of the CRP’s environmental benefits. This study employed Structural Equation Modelling with the Reasoned Action Approach to identify the factors influencing producers’ inability to re-enrol in the CRP. Perceived behavioural control had a direct impact on involuntary discontinuation in the CRP, indicating the importance of landowners’ belief in and perceived ability of their land management abilities. Attitudes as well as socio-demographic both directly and indirectly influenced discontinuation in the CRP. Our results highlight the importance of matching landowners’ expectations with current programmatic guidelines to increase CRP re-enrolment to support the persistence of the environmental goals of the programme.A landowner’s perceived ability (or lack thereof) to manage their land through the CRP was a major driver in discontinuing participation in the CRP.Attitudes and socio-demographic variables were associated with landowners’ perceived CRP barriers, suggesting that these variables are critical in the formulation of one’s perceived behavioural control.While shorter and more flexible contracts have the possibility to reduce discontinuation, they risk limiting long-term environmental benefits from the CRP.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/21606544.2025.2548776

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