DENVER -- Colorado farmers and ranchers took 65,000 acres of marginal land out of production on Friday to conserve water and make more habitat available to wildlife under the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

In return, said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, the farmers and ranchers will be paid about $91 million in state and federal funds.

Taking the land out of production means it no longer has to be irrigated, which will translate into a 5 percent annual reduction in the amount of water pumped from the vast Ogallala Aquifer for agriculture, said Aaron Johnson, a spokesman for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo.

Returning the land to native grasses and trees will also create conservation buffers that will help preserve water quality, soil and habitat, Johnson said.

Private groups have been buying conservation easements for years to prevent development of scenic land.

"It has been very successful privately, and it is a nice way to create open space whether it is public or private," said Musgrave, who attended a contract signing ceremony with Johanns near Wiggins, 65 miles northeast of Denver.

She said federal water standards make it every expensive for some farmers to operate.

"I really think that this program will enable producers to stay in agricultural production and yet meet the high standards we have now for water quality and providing habit. These payments are very important for them to be able to do that," said Musgrave.

Producers need help to meet environmental objectives and protect sensitive land, said Johanns, a former Nebraska governor. Nationally, the agriculture department has 36 such agreements in 28 states, including Colorado. More than 3.51 million acres have been taken out of production in deals with thousands of farmers and ranchers.

In Colorado, 35,000 acres of irrigated land will be removed from production in the Republican River Basin in eastern Colorado at a cost of $66.3 million. An additional 30,000 of crop of high plains land will be set aside for wildlife and migratory birds in Kit Carson, Logan, Phillips and Yuma counties at a cost of $25.3 million. The public, including hunters, will be allowed access to this land, said Musgrave.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D2.