WASHINGTON, May 7, 2008—U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Arlen Lancaster today announced that producers
in 51 eligible watersheds nationwide will have two additional weeks to apply for
the Conservation Security Program (CSP) in fiscal year 2008. The sign-up now
ends on May 30, 2008.
A sign-up extension announcement is scheduled to be published in the Federal
Register on May 9, 2008. Originally, the CSP sign-up was scheduled to run from
April 18-May 16, 2008.
“NRCS recognizes the inopportune timing of this year’s sign-up and that farmers
and ranchers are busy in their fields. We want to give them as much time as
possible,” Lancaster said. “We are extending the sign-up as much as possible to
allow producers adequate time to gather natural resource information and
complete the required self-assessment and applicant interview. This two-week
extension represents the fullest accommodation we can make and deliver a program
this year.”
Natural disasters—such as excessive spring rains and flooding in certain parts
of the country that caused delays in planting—also played a role in the decision
to extend the sign-up, Lancaster said. As a result, many farmers and ranchers
had little time to gather their records to meet the CSP sign-up requirements.
CSP, a voluntary program, encourages and rewards producers who practice
outstanding stewardship on working agricultural land by offering financial
incentives that increase with the level of conservation effort. Soil and water
quality are the primary focus of this program; however, program goals also
include improved wildlife habitat, air quality, and environmentally responsible
energy production.
USDA-NRCS began CSP in fiscal year 2004. Currently, there are 331 enrolled
watersheds covering nearly 248 million acres eligible for CSP nationwide. These
numbers include the 51 watersheds in this fiscal year’s sign-up and their
acreage, which were first announced in September 2006.
For more information about CSP and eligibility requirements, please visit
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.
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