Stewardship program application due June 14

The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program will provide about $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres enrollment this year.

Farmers, ranchers and forestland owners interested in CSP should submit applications to their local NRCS office by June 14 to ensure they are considered for this year’s funding. Applications are accepted continuously but periodic closing periods are announced so that the applications can be ranked and approved for funding.

A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements and payment types.

For the checklist and additional information, visit the NRCS website at www.nrcs.usda.gov and search for CSP checklist, or visit your local USDA NRCS office.

The voluntary program allows producers to go the extra mile in conserving natural resources while also maintaining or increasing the productivity of their operations.

“CSP is different than our other financial assistance programs,” said NRCS Acting Chief Jason Weller. “It offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. It’s about conservation activities on the entire operation, focusing on multiple resource concerns.”

According to Bruce Petersen, NRCS State Conservationist, 26 Nevada producers enrolled over 71,000 acres in CSP last year, helping to bring the national total to more than 50 million acres.

“Many of the CSP enhancements improve soil quality, which helps land become more resilient to extreme weather like drought,” said Petersen.

Several other improvements are available for producers including intensive rotational grazing and wildlife-friendly fencing.