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Chief of NRCS Announces Exotension of CSP Sign-Up to May 30
May 13

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Arlen Lancaster announced on May 7, 2008, that producers in 51 eligible watersheds nationwide will have two additional weeks to apply for the Conservation Security Program (CSP). The sign-up now ends on May 30, 2008. The NRCS is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“This extension is good news for landowners and operators in the Coon-Pickerel Watershed that covers parts of 10 counties (Barton, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Pawnee, Rice, Rush, and Stafford) in southcentral Kansas,” said Thomas A. Perrin, NRCS Acting State Conservationist for Kansas. “Producers can take part in the 2008 Conservation Security Program (CSP) sign-up at their local NRCS offices.”

Counties in three other watersheds shared with Kansas and an adjoining state are also included in the extended sign-up: Upper Arkansas-John Martin in Greeley and Hamilton counties along the Colorado border; Lower Missouri-Crooked in Wyandotte, Johnson, and Miami counties along the Missouri border; and Middle Republican in Phillips, Smith, Jewell, and Republic counties along the Nebraska border.

Chief Lancaster said, “NRCS recognizes that farmers and ranchers are busy in their fields. Stormy weather around the country has also delayed planting. We are extending the sign-up as much as possible to allow producers adequate time to gather natural resource information and complete the required self-assessment and applicant interview. This two-week extension represents the fullest accommodation we can make and deliver a program this year.”

Originally, the CSP sign-up was scheduled to end May 16, 2008. CSP, a voluntary program, encourages and rewards producers who practice outstanding stewardship on working agricultural land by offering financial incentives that increase with the level of conservation effort. Soil and water quality are the primary focus of this program; however, program goals also include improved wildlife habitat, air quality, and environmentally responsible energy production.

“CSP works with landowners to reward them for their past stewardship efforts and provides incentives to move to the next level of natural resource conservation. The more conservation enhancements applied to the land, the bigger the incentive payment,” Perrin said.

To apply for CSP, potential participants must determine if the majority of their ag operation is in the eligible watershed, and then complete a CSP self-assessment workbook to find out if their operation meets the requirements of the program. The producer submits the completed self-assessment workbook to the local NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets with NRCS personnel to go over any additional needed documentation. NRCS will determine if eligibility requirements are met and provide options for the producer’s decision on enrollment category placement.

“Producers in all the eligible watersheds in or adjoining Kansas--Coon-Pickerell, Middle Republican, Lower Missouri-Crooked, and Upper Arkansas-John Martin--are encouraged to learn more about CSP, see if they are eligible, and find out how they may be financially compensated for the conservation measures on their land,” Perrin said.

Additional information on CSP, including maps of eligible watersheds in Kansas and adjoining states, and the CSP self-assessment workbook are available at local NRCS offices or at http://www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/2008/index.html.