09/28/06 Little Lost on `07 CSP list

The Little Lost River watershed is one of 51 that will be eligible for Conservation Security Program funding in 2007. NRCS chief Arlen Lancaster goes inside the numbers. LANCASTER "Within those water sheds 64,500 farms and ranches. The water sheds cover more than 23.7 million acres." The Natural Resources Conservation Service started CSP in 2004. Today there are 280 watersheds in CSP nationwide, covering nearly 224 million acres. The Clearwater and Malad watersheds were added to the list this fiscal year. Lancaster says the 2007 announcement is being made now to give farmers and ranchers the time they need to gather the information on their operations. LANCASTER "Producers will take the time to gather their paperwork and then go into their local office. These are self assessments to determine what levels, what tiers of the program they'd be eligible for and then work with their district conservationist to apply." A list of the eligible watersheds can be viewed on the Internet at www.nrcs.usda.gov. USDA offers CSP in new watersheds annually on a rotational basis in as many watersheds as funding allows. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott