Agricultural producers with land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are invited to apply for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park's CRP Add-on Lease.
The CRP Add-on Lease option is offered through FWP's Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program and is available to private landowners, including those with land enrolled in FWP's Block Management Program, Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program and public land lessees.
This add-on lease is designed to help landowners while providing wildlife habitat and providing more hunting access.
Landowners or lessees can enroll up to 640 CRP acres into the program. Participants receive an annual payment based on the number of acres enrolled in CRP. Producers planning to enroll during the 2026 general CRP sign-up can apply for the add-on lease even though they might not know their federal enrollment status until September.
Producers who are seeding CRP this year may also qualify for a bonus payment of $10 per CRP-acre. In addition to rental payments, producers may also qualify for financial incentives for specific mid-contract management activities, such as light disking, with prior approval through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
All enrollments must be on legally accessible land. Landowners must agree to allow free public walk-in game bird hunting without further permission unless land is enrolled in Block Management. CRP Add-on Leases allow for haying or grazing once in five years and must be pre-approved by the USDA Farm Services Agency.
Applications for enrollment in the CRP Add-on Lease option may be submitted now through April 1. For more information and an application, visit FWP's Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program web page and then click "CRP Add-on Lease Option." Because of limited funding, producers should consider submitting their application early.