THE NEW CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
            The funding by the federal government of a Farm Bill benefits us all. Not only are you assured of sufficient food and fiber at a reasonable cost, you are participating in conserving soil and preserving water quality. Since 1985 programs of the Farm Bill have provided financial and technical assistance to producers so that they can better conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land.
            The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a new voluntary conservation program that provides opportunities to both recognize excellent stewards and deliver valuable new conservation. The program provides equitable access to all producers, regardless of operation size, crops produced, or geographic location.  Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe. Applicants must be the operator of record in the USDA farm records management system for the eligible land they wish to enroll.
            CSP provides participants with two possible types of payments. An annual payment is available for installing new conservation activities and maintaining existing activities. A supplemental payment may be earned by participants already receiving an annual payment who also adopt a resource-conserving crop rotation. (Crop rotation is thousands of years old – a method of maintaining soil fertility and structure by planting a field with alternating plant species, for example corn one year and soybeans the next.)
            “This is the stewardship program that’s going to reward for existing conservation that’s on the ground and it’s going to encourage new conservation on the ground. Key thing here, it’s a working lands program. It is not a land retirement program,” explained Dave White, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
            “ We want the farmers and ranchers to keep producing and to recognize the commodities that they produce like clean air, clean water, and abundant wildlife and a healthy environment for all of us,” continued Chief White. “And hopefully through this we’ll also be able to help producer’s bottom line because all the conservation in the world is not going to do us a bit of good if those men and women can’t continue to make their living off the land. So we’re very cognizant of that. Sign up for this program began Monday, August 10th. It’s going to occur nationwide. It will be a continual sign up. Producers can go in at any time.”
            Staffs at your county USDA/NRCS Field Office and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are prepared to explain the program and to help you take advantage of what it has to offer.
Dave White’s quotes are from the transcript of an August 19, 2009 On-Line Educational Seminar on the topic of CSP. This information and more about CSP can be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/new_csp.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 08/26/09 (for publication on 09/05/09 in the Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org