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Earn up to $30,000 for Your CRP Land.

Join a university research study on planned burning and land stewardship

15-min eligibility survey

$25 guaranteed for completing the survey

HOW IT WORKS 

1

Take the Survey

  • Complete a 15-minute survey

  • Indicate interest in the planned burn program

  • Deadline: [DATE]

2

Selection & Notification

  • Limited number of participants selected

  • Selection is random among eligible applicants

  • Notification within 2 weeks

3

Burn & Payment

  • Complete an approved planned burn within a year

  • Choose payment option

  • Receive payment

This survey link is accessible by invitation only.

Questions? Contact the Texas A&M University research team at research@xxx.edu | (737) 366-1262

How to participate

Phase 1: 

Open Enrollment
(Days 1-45)

Complete a 15-minute survey and receive $25.

At the end of the survey, you can choose whether you want to apply for the Planned Burn Program.

  • Want to apply? Check the box at the end of the survey.

  • Not interested? Submit the survey and keep the $25.

There is no obligation to conduct a burn.

Phase 2:

Selection and Notification
(Days 46 - 60)

Because funding is limited, only some applicants will be selected.

Earlier survey responses can increase your chances of being selected.

If you are selected, we will contact you within two weeks after enrollment closes.

Selected participants will have one year to complete their planned burn.

Phase 3:

Verification and Payment
 

After your planned burn is completed, we will verify.

Once verified, there is a two-week waiting period before final payment is set.

During this period, you may change your payment option.

Payment

How Payment Works

You earn money for each acre you burn (up to 100 acres).
You can:

  • keep all acres in the lottery option, or

  • switch any number of acres to a guaranteed fixed payment.

You can change your choice before the final deadline.

Payment Options

Example

Let's say you burned 50 acres.
You will receive 50 lottery tickets. (potential earnings: $0 - $15,000)
Out of 50 tickets, you decide to exchange 10 of them for the fixed payment. This gives you:

  1. $150 guaranteed payment (10 x $15), and

  2. 40 lottery tickets for a chance to win up to $12,000 more.​

Your Current Option: Lottery

  • Each burned acre = 1 ticket

  • Each ticket has a 1 in 20 chance to earn $300

  • If you don't have a winning ticket, you receive $0

  • Maximum possible payment (100 acres): $30,000​

Trade for Fixed Payment

  • You can exchange any number of your tickets for a guaranteed payment

  • Each ticket exchanged = $15 guaranteed

  • You can keep some in the lottery and move some to fixed

  • Maximum guaranteed payment (100 acres): $1,500

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The Center of Behavioral & Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR) is a global community of scientists studying what leads to the adoption and persistence of conservation most effectively.  We also test to determine whether simpler application processes can deliver higher levels of program participation and landowner satisfaction. 

 

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© 2026 The Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR) is a USDA Center of Excellence.

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