Instruction Slides

OMB Control No.: 0536-####
Approval Expires: ##-##-####

Welcome to the
Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP)

General Signup Study
Instructional Video

Welcome to the Conservation Reserve Program

Enrollment Study

This instructional video will tell you all you need to know about the simulated
Conservation Reserve Program -style General Signup.
At the end of the study, you’ll receive a participation payment of $10 and an
additional payment that is based on the decisions you make in the simulation.

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USDA Burden Statement
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for
this information collection is 0536-####. The time required to complete this
information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including
the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information.

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Note:

Your
decisions in this
study do not
impact your
actual land
management
nor your actual
enrollment in
the CRP.

Note that your decisions in this study do not impact your actual land management
nor your enrollment in the CRP

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Participation payment


After participating in the simulation, you will receive a compensation of $10

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Additional earnings

Win

additional money
(up to $133 more)
based on the decisions
you make in this study.

and you may earn additional payment that is based on the decisions you make in the
study.

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Click “Continue” to learn more
about how to participate.

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Participation
Details

In the study, you’ll make decisions in several simulated rounds of the CRP General
Signup.
In each round, you are assigned a highly erodible crop field.
Your job is to make an offer to enroll that field in the CRP.

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Number of Rounds

1 practice round,
Then 3 rounds
Only 1 of these will be
chosen to “count”
There will be one practice round followed by three rounds.
The round that “counts” for your additional earnings will be randomly selected after
you have completed all three rounds.
Please treat each round as equally important, but realize that what you do in one
round has no effect on any other round.

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In Each Round…
You

Note: Each round
will be different!

will be assigned:

Net

income without CRP
participation
Maximum program payment
Base Ranking Points

In each round, you will be assigned a field. Your job is to make an offer to enroll that
field in the CRP.
Your field will have three values:
• Net income without CRP participation: The maximum amount of money you
could make if you do NOT successfully enroll in the CRP.
• Maximum allowable program payment: the maximum amount of rent that your
field can receive if enrolled in the CRP.
• Base Ranking Points: describes the environmental value of your land before you
choose any conservation practice and includes points from your maximum
program payment.
• CLICK
Note that each round will have a different set of values.

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This is what the Round information screen looks like
*click* here it tells you the net income without CRP participation
*click* next the page presents the maximum allowable program payment
*click* finally the page shows the base ranking points assigned to your land in this
round
*click* and those base ranking points are illustrated here along the range of possible
base ranking points.

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In Each Round…

You

decide:

Note: Your
decisions in one
round do not
impact any other
round!

You

choose a Conservation
Practice
You make a Program
Payment Offer

On the decision page, you make an offer:
An offer includes two components:
• the conservation practice that you’re offering to do and
• the the program payment Offer, or the amount of money you want to do that
practice
CLICK
Note that Your decisions in one round do not impact any other round!

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This is what the Decision screen looks like
*click* note that the net income without CRP participation and the maximum
allowable payment are restated at the top of the page
*click* here are radio buttons for selecting your conservation practice level
*click* and this is where you may enter or edit your program payment offer

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Your Conservation
Practice Choices
 Basic:

non-native

grass
 Good: native grass
 Better: wildlife
habitat
 Best: rare and
declining habitat

Least points

Most points

There are four possible conservation practices, each with different points and costs of
implementing.
CLICK
Conservation practice points refers to the additional points that will be added to
your base ranking points if you select that conservation practice
the more ranking points you have, the greater the chance of your offer being
accepted in the auction.

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Conservation
Practice
Costs per Acre

Basic:

$2/acre
Good: $6/acre
Better: $10/acre
Best: $15/acre

Conservation
Practice

Each conservation practice has a different cost associated with it. That means that
there are tradeoffs between more environmental ranking points for better practices,
and higher costs of implementing that practice.

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Your Program
Payment Offer
 This

is the
amount you offer
to accept for
using the
conservation
practice.

Your program payment offer is the amount you offer to accept for implementing
your selected conservation practice on your field.

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Your Program Payment Offer
 Must

Your Offer

be less
than the
Maximum
allowable
program
payment
assigned in
that round.

Your Program Payment Offer must be less than the maximum allowable program
payment assigned in that round.

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Program Payment Offer Points
Your offer receives points for
requesting program payment less
than maximum allowable amount
The lower your program payment
offer, the more likely your offer
will be accepted.

Your offer receives points for a larger distance between it and the maximum
allowable amount.
The lower your program payment offer, the more likely your offer will be accepted.

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Your Base Ranking Points

Points for requesting
program payment less than
maximum allowable amount

Your
Conservation
Practice Points

 Your

Total Ranking Points is your Base
Points plus Payment Offer points and
Conservation Practice Points

Your Total Ranking Points are the combination of
CLICK your base ranking points,
CLICK the Points for requesting program payment less than maximum allowable
amount
, and CLICK the points from your selected conservation practice choice.

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The CRP
General Signup
Selects the
Offers with
the Highest
Total Ranking
Points

Offers to the CRP are ranked by their total ranking point scores. Higher scores are
more likely to be accepted.
You and many other people similar to you will be submitting offers into this auction.

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If Your Offer is Selected…

Your Final Payment

Conservation
Program
Payment

Your Practice
Cost

Net income without
CRP participation

 Your

Final Payment is your offer, minus the
cost of your conservation practice and the
net income without CRP participation

If your offer is accepted, you’ll receive a final payment of
your program payment offer, but CLICK you’ll have to pay the cost of implementing
the conservation practice and CLICK you’ll have to give up your Net income without
CRP participation

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Finally
It

is important to choose what you
really think is the best offer for
your field.
Your additional payment depends
on your decisions.

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Remember:

Your decisions
do not impact
your actual
land
management
nor your actual
enrollment in
the CRP.

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Payment Information
 Your

participation payment ($10) and any
additional earning from the auction will
be sent to you through an electronic
Amazon or Walmart gift card.
 You will be notified of the result of the
simulated activity and any additional
payment in one month

Your participation payment and, if you win the auction, additional pay will be sent to
you through paypal or an amazon gift card. You will be notified of the results of the
auction in one month.

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Click “Continue” to begin the study.

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