Conservation Security Program

The CSP will help owners and operators of agricultural lands maintain conservation stewardship and implement and maintain additional needed conservation practices. The conservation benefits gained will keep farms and ranches more sustainable and profitable and increase the benefits provided to all Americans through improved natural resources.

During 2007, producers in the Milwaukee River watershed may be eligible to participate.   Producers within these watersheds submit an application once the signup period is announced.  They will need to complete a benchmark inventory documenting the existing conservation treatments on each field within the agricultural operation for land to be enrolled.  NRCS will provide the necessary materials for completing the inventory prior to the sign-up period. Based on the benchmark inventory and a follow-up interview, NRCS will determine in which program tier the applicant could participate. 

Sign-up information, practices, enhancements and payments for 2007.
 

Eligibility

Both the producer and the producer’s operation must first meet the basic eligibility criteria:

• The land must be privately owned or Tribal land and the majority of the land must be located within a selected priority watershed.
• The applicant must be in compliance with highly erodible and wetland provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, have an active interest in the agricultural operation, and have control of the land for the life of the contract.
• The applicant must share in the risk of producing any crop or livestock and be entitled to a share in the crop or livestock marketed from the operation. All applicants must meet the following minimum tier eligibility and contract requirements, plus any additional requirements in the sign-up announcement.

CSP Contract Payment

CSP contract payments include one or more of the following:

• An annual stewardship payment for the benchmark conservation treatment.
• An annual existing practice payment for existing conservation
  practices.
• A one-time new practice payment for additional needed practices.
• An enhancement payment for exceptional conservation effort and additional conservation practices or activities that provide increased resource benefits beyond the prescribed level.
   

Tier of participation and maximum payments

• For Tier I, soil and water resource concerns are addressed on part of the operation.  Contracts are for 5 years; maximum payment is $20,000 annually.  Tier I contracts may be extended for 5 more years upon transition into Tier II.
• For Tier II, soil and water resource concerns are addressed on the entire operation, plus an additional resource concern will be addressed at some time during the life of the contract.  Contracts are for 5 or 10 years; maximum payment is $35,000 annually.
• For Tier III, all resource concerns are addressed on the entire operation.  Contracts are for 5 or 10 years; maximum payment is $45,000 annually.