First ranking cutoff for new CSP is September 30th
Washington Ag Today September 14, 2009 Sign up for the revamped CSP, now called the Conservation Stewardship Program, began back in August. That sign up is continuous, however to be considered for funding in the first ranking period producers must submit their application by September 30th. Diane Gelburd, the new Regional Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, says the new CSP is not limited by watershed, but is offered to producers nationwide. Gelburd: “And it provides a payment for being a good steward of their land for people who manage their operations to prevent soil erosion, prevent water contamination and manage dust on their roads for example. And they receive payment for both maintaining existing conservation activities and for adopting new conservation activities. They have to be addressing one resource concern already such as water quality, and then by the end of this five-year contract, it would be a five-year contract, they would then achieve addressing at least an additional resource concern, which could be anything from wildlife to soil erosion for example.” Gelburd says non-industrial private forestland has been added as an eligible land for CSP For this September 30th cutoff there is a limit on enrollment in Washington of 162,600 acres of cropland and nearly 21-thousand acres of forestland. So if you are interested Gelburd says go to the NRCS website or local office and go through the self-screening process to see if you’re eligible. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
