Around here, cash rent is anywhere from $35 - $150 per acre. Demographics is really dictating who enrolls in CRP. Most people I know who are considering CRP are heirs to the land and have no attachment to agriculture. Many, it appears, don't like the idea of someone making money off their land and feel it more important to sign up for CRP so they can do their part in the restoration of the longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem. (CRP enrollees here must plant longleaf and native warm season grasses) The government's goal is to restore habitat such as this.
The irony here is that the main reason for the demise in this ecosystem was brought about by the death tax. Unlike people who have oil or coal on their property and are taxed at the time of removal, timber is taxed at death and you only have six months to come up with the taxes. So it is rather naive to think that the CRP program will fulfill its ultimate goal since most enrollees are over the age of 40 and stands like this take years to establish. Additionally, the longleaf ecosystem is a fire ecosystem and requires frequent burns to encourage the growth of the desired grasses. I seriously doubt many of the enrollees have the backbone or the knowledge to burn the woods given the litigious nature of the society our court system has created.
Its also ironic that one government agency will give a good stewardship award to a forest like the one in the picture and another agency will come along and say you must destroy it so we can fund programs such as the CRP. Makes perfect sense to me.