AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION: Farm Program Payments Are an Important Factor in Landowners' Decisions to Convert Grassland to Cropland.

RESEARCH; AGRICULTURAL conservation; GRASSLANDS; CROPLAND conversion program; UNITED States. Government Accountability Office; UNITED States. Dept. of Agriculture

The article presents a study conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on national agricultural conservation. The article reveals that the purpose of the GAO study was to examine the extent of the nation's grassland conversion to cropland and the cost of farm programs for converted cropland. Because of the study, the GAO recommended that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conduct further studies of farm conservation programs.