The 2015 Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) will cover up to 7.7 million new acres and provide $100 million
to participating farmers. But you only
have until February 27 to sign up to be part of this year’s program. Of course, you can fill out the paperwork at
any time, but to be considered for funding this year, you must move quickly.
CSP is a “payment for
performance” program, so the higher the operation’s environmental performance,
the higher the payment to the landowner.
Farmers and ranchers receive payments for undertaking additional
conservation activities and for “improving, maintaining and managing existing
conservation activities.” The Natural
Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides participants with an annual
payment and in some cases supplemental payments for adopting
resource-conserving crop rotations.
NRCS announced the one-month 2015
CSP signup on January 27, along with some improvements to the program. For some time I’ve been encouraging NRCS to
include more enhancement opportunities and more local and regional priority
efforts. I’ve also wanted the agency to
place greater emphasis on new technologies.
So I was pleased to see that NRCS is doing that. Check out the long list
of new and improved CSP
enhancements on the NRCS website.
In its January announcement, NRCS
particularly highlighted some pilot CSP initiatives that focus on providing
habitat for at-risk species such as the sage grouse and the lesser prairie
chicken or focus on conserving water and improving water quality in the Ogalala
Aquifer. There is also a longleaf pine
conservation effort in southern states. Those
are the ones the agency is talking about because of its political
priorities.
But what excites me are the
enhancements that embrace modern precision agriculture technology, soil health,
cover crops and fertilizer management, which are much improved. The grazing system enhancements better meet
the needs of cutting edge grazing management.
NRCS deserves accolades for listening to farmer suggestions and improving
the enhancement offerings. What’s more, there are enhancements that work
for large and small landowners, conventional and organic farmers, northern and
southern producers and ranchers.
The changes NRCS has made are
definitely a step in the right direction, and I’d like to be sure that everyone
knows about them. It’s almost like NRCS
is trying to keep this signup and all its improvements a secret. As a farmer, if you have looked at CSP in the
past and found it inflexible or a poor match for your needs, this may be the
time to give it a new look. With tough
grain prices on the horizon, CSP payments could be what it takes to keep cover
crops and other conservation innovations in your rotation.
Despite the magnitude of the
program, I’m not sure that landowners are aware of the opportunity or the short
turnaround time. CSP is a vital
component in our nation’s agricultural conservation efforts, and I would like
to see a robust signup, especially considering the level of funding available
and potential acreage the program will cover this year.
Landowners can use an NRCS self-screening
checklist available on the CSP
webpage to help determine whether CSP might be a good fit for their farm or
ranch. CSP applications are available on
the CSP webpage or from USDA service centers in every state. But most importantly go talk to your local
NRCS District Conservationist about your interest in CSP and be persistent to
get the answers you need about how CSP could fit into your operation.
I know that with corn and soybean
prices down, some farmers could be tempted to cut out conservation projects
they’d planned to install this year. I
hope they will continue to invest in conservation. CSP payments may help them proceed with their
plans by offsetting the costs of conservation practices, enabling landowners to
keep moving forward in safeguarding their land, maintaining the value of their
resources and benefiting the environment.
I am excited about the improvements
in CSP and the significant opportunities it brings to landowners. It is one of the cornerstone conservation
programs that helps conscientious land stewards while providing environmental
benefits that make a difference on a local, regional and national level.
I have had to wait several years
for the opportunity to try to enroll my ranch in CSP because I was implementing
an EQIP contract (your land can only be in one or the other program). I think I will give it a try this year. You may want to as well.
About the author: Bruce I.
Knight, Principal, Strategic Conservation Solutions, was the Under Secretary
for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) from 2006 to 2009. From 2002 to 2006, Knight served as Chief of Natural
Resources Conservation Service. The South Dakota native worked on Capitol Hill
for Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Rep. Fred Grandy, Iowa, and Sen. James
Abdnor, South Dakota. In addition, Knight served as vice president for public
policy for the National Corn Growers Association and also worked for the
National Association of Wheat Growers. A third-generation rancher and farmer
and lifelong conservationist, Knight operates a diversified grain and cattle
operation using no-till and rest rotation grazing systems
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