TRIBUNE, Kan. (AP) — Millions of acres of farmland are being released from a federal conservation program and could soon be tilled. That's raising concerns about loss of wildlife habitat, soil erosion and water quality.

The federal Conservation Reserve Program once protected more than 39 million acres of farmland, but 3.4 million acres were taken out of the program in September when the owners' contracts expired. Most of them are in Texas, Colorado and Kansas, but hundreds of thousands of acres also are coming out in Montana and the Dakotas.

That's because the 2008 Farm Bill capped the program at 32 million acres.

The program pays landowners not to farm easily eroded land and helps cover the cost of establishing ground cover to reduce soil erosion and establish wildlife habitat.

Here's a look at the states where the most land is being released from the federal Conservation Reserve Program:

— Texas, 3.85 million acres active; 644,025 acres expire in 2009; 698,313 expire in 2010; 683,991 expire in 2011

— Montana, 3.2 million acres active; 245,925 acres expire in 2009; 410,487 expire in 2010; 497,236 expire in 2011

— Kansas, 3.1 million acres active; 339,527 acres expire in 2009; 617,687 expire in 2010; 532,555 expire in 2011

— North Dakota, 2.86 million acres active; 212,294 expire in 2009; 261,409 expire in 2010; 388.974 expire in 2011

— Colorado, 2.41 million acres active; 434,060 acres expire in 2009; 464,062 expire in 2010; 346,132 expire in 2011

— Iowa, 1.69 million acres active; 191,813 acres expire in 2009; 171,954 expire in 2010; 72,249 expire in 2011

— Minnesota, 1.67 million acres active; 166,519 expire in 2009; 80,259 expire in 2010; 128,018 expire in 2011

— Washington, 1.51 million acres active; 124,602 expire in 2009; 209,072 expire in 2010; 89,167 expire in 2011

— Missouri, 1.4 million acres active; 45,398 expire in 2009; 152,701 expire in 2010; 197,535 expire in 2011

— South Dakota, 1.2 million acres active; 202,152 expire in 2009; 151,761 expire in 2010; 125,612 expire in 2011

— Nebraska, 1.18 million acres active; 134,338 acres expire in 2009; 187,552 expire in 2010; 151,482 expire in 2011

— Illinois, 1 million acres active; 60,704 expire in 2009; 78,793 expire in 2010; 68,705 expire in 2011

— Oklahoma, 960,839 acres active; 110,435 acres expire in 2009; 210,884 expire in 2010; 191,787 expire in 2011

— United States, 33.65 million acres active; 3.41 million expire in 2009; 4.75 million expire in 2010; 4.42 million expire in 2011

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Source: Farm Service Agency's monthly CRP acreage report prepared on Sept. 25. Statistics do not reflect recent contract re-enrollment or extension offers.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.