Swamp Stomp
Volume 16, Issue 44
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on September 1st that the nation’s leading conservation program by land, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), was getting update. This decision was made after reviewing customer and partner input. The updated program is planned to start later this year with the new enrollment period. The purpose of the updates to the CSP is to leverage redesigned planning and evaluation tools and an expanded array of new enhancements to provide conservation-minded producers with more options to improve conditions on working lands.
“After hearing from farmers, ranchers, and partners who wanted to see improvements to the Conservation Stewardship Program, we’re launching this update to make a successful program work even better,” said NRCS Chief Jason Weller. “We’ve redesigned the program to provide for greater local involvement, offer more opportunities for conservation and innovation on working lands, and make the connection between actions and outcomes more accessible to producers. Together, we can help those that grow our food and fiber take conservation efforts on working lands to the next level.”
These updates are to help make CPS more accessible and transparent. This will be achieved by helping producers weigh their conservation options and how conservation will impact their operations. NRCS has developed specific tools dedicated to CPS that will help integrate the CPS into the suite of the National Resources Conservation Service programs. The tools allow producers to understand why they are or are not meeting stewardship thresholds, allowing them to pick practices and enhancements that work for their conservation objectives. Payment options are included in these tools to help producers make a more informed decision.
“A lot has happened in agriculture and conservation since 2010, and the new CSP allows producers to take advantage of new techniques and technologies to increase conservation while boosting production,” Weller said. “Through the incorporation of new practices and enhancements, we’re making CSP work for more people across the country.”
In response to producers’ goals and capabilities, CSP will now offer almost twice as many enhances and conservation practice opportunities. “For example, CSP will offer producers four new enhancements that utilize gypsum as a soil amendment, which has been shown to improve water quality by reducing dissolved phosphorus and reducing the potential for pathogens to reach ground and surface water from manure. CSP will also offer support in the production of biochar following fuel reduction harvests or wildfires, which an NRCS-funded Conservation Innovation Grant shows can reduce debris while increasing soil organic matter and water-holding capacity. NRCS will also offer enhancements for on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, while expanding on investments in monarch habitat improvement by supporting the establishment of habitat in pastures.” (U.S. Department of Agriculture).
The Conservation Stewardship Program is only available to producers who are currently conservation stewards. They can use CPS to help improve water and soil quality and enhace wildlife habitats on operational lands.
More information about the new program, including funding opportunities for the Fiscal Year 2017 enrollment period, will be provided by NRCS later this year. Producers wanting to learn more about the program can do so by visiting www.nrcs.usda.gov/csp.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture. “USDA Announces Changes for Largest Conservation Program.” FarmForum.net. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 01 Sept. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.