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At the time they purchased the property, petitioners lived
approximately 11 miles away in Great Falls, Montana. A few sheds
were on the property at the time of its purchase.
Approximately 62 acres of the property had been placed in
the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by the previous owner.
The CRP is a program implemented by the Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) and the Commodity
Credit Corporation (CCC) on behalf of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA). The purpose of the CRP is to preserve and
improve the soil and water resources of erodible cropland. Under
the CRP, the USDA enters into a long-term contract with the owner
or operator of highly erodible cropland to convert the cropland,
which is normally devoted to the production of an agricultural
commodity, to a less intensive use. The less intensive use is
outlined in a conservation plan developed by the Soil
Conservation Service and the local ASCS and typically requires
the owner or operator to establish a permanent vegetative cover
on the land, as well as to control noxious weeds on the CRP
acreage.
In exchange for the owner's implementation of the
conservation plan, the CCC agrees to: (1) Pay the owner or
operator an annual rental payment for the period of years
specified in the contract; (2) share with the owner or operator
the cost of establishing the conservation practices specified in
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Last modified: May 25, 2011