Which program was established under the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 with wildlife as a major goal?

The correct answer is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was established under the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 with a significant focus on wildlife conservation. The CRP encourages farmers to convert environmentally sensitive agricultural land into permanent plant cover, which helps improve habitat for various wildlife species, reduce soil erosion, and enhance water quality. This program provides financial assistance to landowners who voluntarily undertake these conservation practices, thereby contributing to the overall goal of enhancing wildlife and restoring ecological balance on agricultural landscapes.

Other programs listed also promote conservation and environmental quality, but they are oriented towards different aspects. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) primarily focuses on providing incentives for landowners to adopt more environmentally sound agricultural practices. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is aimed at encouraging farmers to maintain and improve their existing conservation systems, while the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) involves a collaborative effort to address conservation challenges at a regional level. While all these programs serve important roles in conservation, the CRP is specifically designed with wildlife conservation as a major objective, making it the appropriate answer to this question.