USDA ANNOUNCES FISCAL YEAR 2008 SIGN-UP FOR CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM 2008 (CSP)

Warwick, Rhode Island - March 24, 2008 — Rhode Island and Massachusetts farmers with land in the Narragansett Bay watershed and who practice good soil and water conservation are encouraged to contact their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to determine if they are eligible to sign-up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP).  Sign-up begins April 18 and continues through May 16.

Farmers are invited to attend informational meetings to obtain additional information. Please contact the Rhode Island NRCS Warwick office at 828-1300.

More than 300 farmers and nearly 20,000 acres of land in Rhode Island and Massachusetts are potentially eligible for CSP this year. CSP is offered nationwide on a rotational basis in as many watersheds as funding allows.

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private, agricultural working lands and rewards those producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations.

Additional information on CSP, including eligible watersheds and a CSP self-assessment workbook is available on-line at www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov (Massachusetts) and www.ri.nrcs.usda.gov (Rhode Island). Farmers may also call or visit their local USDA service center; locations are listed on-line at http://offices.usda.gov or in the phone book under Federal Government, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Payments can include three components: 1) an annual stewardship component for the base level of conservation treatment, 2) an annual component for maintenance of existing conservation practices, and 3) an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort. Enhancement activities could include limited pesticide applications, renewable energy generation, and widening existing riparian forest buffers for restoring critical stream habitat.

To apply for CSP, NRCS asks potential participants to complete a CSP self-assessment workbook – available on the web or from local NRCS offices – to find out if their operation meets the requirements of the program and qualifies for program participation.

The self-assessment process is completed using a self-screening questionnaire for each land use to be enrolled. When this process is completed, the producer submits the CSP workbook to the local NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets with NRCS personnel to go over any additional needed documentation. NRCS will then determine if eligibility requirements are met and provide options for the producer's decision on enrollment category placement.

NRCS held the first CSP sign-up in 2004. This announcement brings the number of watersheds enrolled to 331 across the nation, covering 247.7 million acres that have been eligible for the program.

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