The next deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program applications to be considered for funding this year is May 29. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service helps farmers, livestock producers and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. CSP also encourages adoption of new technologies and management techniques.

“CSP continues to be a very effective tool for private landowners working to achieve their conservation and management goals,” says Kurt Simon, NRCS state conservationist in Iowa. “It’s the largest conservation program in the U.S., with more than 70 million acres of productive agricultural and forest land enrolled.”

Accepting new enrollments

Changes in the 2018 Farm Bill authorize NRCS to accept new CSP enrollments from now until 2023. The changes also make some improvements to the program. These updates include:

While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by the deadline to ensure their applications are considered for 2020 funding, Simon says.

Iowa offers continuous sign-ups

CSP is offered by NRCS in Iowa through continuous and general sign-ups. General sign-ups are held periodically and have a deadline for enrollment.

CSP provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, nonindustrial private forestland and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe. For more information about CSP, contact your local USDA Service Center.

With a wide variety of conservation practices to choose from, including cover crops, resource-conserving crop rotation, grazing management and conservation buffers, producers can work with their local technicians to build a contract that works best for them. CSP contracts are five years in length.

USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and fieldwork will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone, and using online tools whenever possible.

All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS, the Farm Service Agency or any other USDA Service Center agency are required to call their local service center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Source: NRCS, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content in this information asset.