CSP Sign Up Announced

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About | Donate | Take Action

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation Stewardship Program Sign Up Announced

 

August 10 through September 30

 

 

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced the first farmer

sign up period for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).   The CSP

will make payments to farmers for maintaining existing conservation practices

and for adopting additional practices on cropland, grassland, improved pasture,

rangeland, non-industrial private forestland and tribal lands.  Payment will

also be made for adopting resource conserving crop rotations.

 

 

 

Farmers can submit applications at their local Natural Resource Conservation

District offices between August 10th and September 30th to be considered for

this 12.8 million acre sign up.  Enrollment for the new CSP is nationwide and

the program is not limited to certain watersheds.       

 

 

 

Application will be a two step process.

 

Step One:  Farmers must submit a short, basic application to NRCS by

September 30th.  NRCS has developed a  self screening tool to help farmers

evaluate their eligibility and suitability for the program.

 

 

 Step Two:  Farmers who submit a basic application will then work with NRCS

staff on a more comprehensive assessment of the farm's existing conservation

baseline and the proposed additional practices and crop rotations for the 2010

through 2014 crop years.  NRCS will use a new software system called the

Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT) to assign points by which all applications

will be ranked.  Farmers who submit the basic application to participate may

then work with NRCS to complete the CMT at any time between mid-September and

the end of October.

 

Conservation Activities

 

 

 

NRCS has provided a list of practices and enhancements  that are considered by

the CMT in assigning points for newly adopted conservation activities.  Many of

the same activities are also reflected in the baseline section of the CMT used

to measure existing conservation on the farm today.

 

 

 

CSP targets practices that conserve or improve soil, water, air, energy,

biodiversity, and wildlife habitat.  Practices that sequester carbon and reduce

greenhouse gasses are also rewarded. Among the over 70 activities included are

continuous cover cropping, resource-conserving crop rotation, management

intensive rotational grazing, advanced IPM, organic cropping and livestock

systems, prairie restoration, pollinator habitat, and a variety of nutrient

management and water and energy conservation techniques.

 

 

 

State Resource Concerns

 

 

 

States pick between three and five priority resource concerns for their state or

for regions within the state such as water quality. CSP applicants must

demonstrate that they already meet a minimum sustainability level called the

" stewardship threshold " for at least one priority resource concern and that they

will address at least one additional resource concern to the stewardship

threshold level during the 5-year contract period.  Applications that address

more resource concerns or that treat them more thoroughly will be ranked more

favorably by the CMT and receive higher payments.  To find out your state's

priority resource of concern contact your NRCS state office.

 

 

 

Payment Rates

 

 

 

CSP payments are a reflection of land use type (crop, pasture, range, etc.) and

environmental ranking points.  Overall CSP payment rates are expected to average

$18 per acre nationwide.  The rate, however, will vary by land type and the

details and total environmental benefits of each contract.  Payments will be

made in the fall of each year beginning in 2010.  Payments are limited to no

more than $40,000 per farm per year.

 

 

 

Sign up Assistance

 

 

 

NSAC members, the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the Center for

Rural Affairs are providing sign up assistance to producers.    The Center for

Rural Affairs is offering a Farm Bill Helpline to answer questions and provide

assistance on the CSP and other conservation programs.  Call (402) 687-2100 and

ask for the Helpline.   The National Center for Appropriate Technology is also

offering phone assistance. Call 1-800 346-9140 (English) or  1-800-411-3222

(Spanish).  A wealth of information will also be posted by NCAT on the

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

 

110 Maryland Avenue NE Washington, D.C. 20002

 

Phone: (202) 547-5754 Fax: (202) 547-1837

 

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National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition