RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 CREP: Cattle Receiving Enhanced Pastures? Investigating Landowner Response to Federal Incentives
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 59
OP 73
DO 10.3368/le.93.1.59
VO 93
IS 1
A1 Manley, James
A1 Mathias, Jason
YR 2017
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/93/1/59.abstract
AB Using enrollment data on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program’s river buffer subprogram from 1998 to 2010, we observe that counties in the top quintile of cattle production receive almost twice as much in initial incentives. Further, in counties with high levels of cattle ranching, enrollments are more responsive per dollar of initial incentive offered. Program regulations allow cattle ranchers to include in their initial incentives “cost share” funding they can use to improve their ranches, while other participants’ up-front costs benefit them less directly. To improve program cost-effectiveness, policy designers should consider how producer and incentive characteristics interact. (JEL H23, Q15)