NRCS Deadline

NRCS Deadline

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting applications for the 2015 Conservation Stewardship Program. Producers who maintain a high level of conservation stewardship on their land may be eligible to receive compensation for their efforts. Applications received by February 27, 2015 will be considered for this year's funding.

 

"The Conservation Stewardship Program emphasizes conservation implementation. The program offers financial incentives to farmers and ranchers to manage their farms, ranches, and timber lands to conserve natural resources," said Travis Thomason, acting Idaho NRCS State Conservationist.

 

"The program encourages agricultural and forestry producers to address resource problems by improving and maintaining existing conservation activities as well as undertaking additional conservation 'enhancements'," Thomason said.

 

The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the program's conservation activity list. Conservation activities, called enhancements, will offer participants greater options to meet their conservation needs and protect natural resources on their land. Enhancements include practices that improve soil health, grazing rotations, or wildlife habitat; treat crowded forest stands; or facilitate tillage system changes.

 

Another new change is using the program to broaden the impacts of NRCS' Landscape Conservation Initiatives. In Idaho, a pilot effort will focus on conservation activities to improve sage grouse habitat on private lands.

 

"Our Landscape Conservation Initiatives rally together landowners in a wide-ranging area to make conservation improvements to address particular resource issues; the Conservation Stewardship Program is a great tool for that," said Thomason. "We hope with including CSP we'll be bringing more farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to these efforts."

Land stewardship generates significant environmental benefits including clean air, clean water, and healthy soils and helps sustain food and fiber production for the citizens of Idaho. Since the program began in 2009, NRCS has enrolled more than 766,000 acres in Idaho.

 

For more information on CSP, stop by your local USDA service center or visit NRCS online at http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

 

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