Conservation  Security Program

Sign-up is being held now through May 30, 2008.

The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary program that provides stewardship and maintenance payments to farmers who agree to continue using good conservation practices on their production land. CSP also provides cost-sharing to install new practices and enhancement payments for farmers who go beyond the minimum requirements for protecting resources such as soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands. Visit the National CSP website for more details. 

2008 Watersheds

Selected Pennsylvania watersheds for 2008 are the Lower Juniata, Lower Delaware and Gunpowder-Patapsco. Eligible producers in the following counties can apply to NRCS for the opportunity to receive payments based on the conservation work they have done in past years:

Detailed Maps (Maps Require Adobe Acrobat Reader)
 Lower Delaware watershed
 Lower Juniata watershed

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be a farmer who is entitled to a share of the farming operation. Enrollment is on a watershed basis, and each year different watersheds are selected. Farmers must be in a selected watershed to apply. A national map of the 2008 watersheds is located at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.

Minimum conservation requirements are protection of soil and water quality, as demonstrated on cropland by proper application of nutrients and pesticides and maintaining a positive soil organic matter trend. On pastureland farmers must be able to document proper stocking rates, amount and kind of vegetative cover, and protection of water sources. On both cropland and pasture, producers must use practices to keep sediment out of surface water.

For more information on eligibility requirements, see the following. (These documents require Adobe Acrobat)
- Eligibility Requirements for the Gunpowder-Patapsco
- Eligibility Requirements for the Lower Delaware  
- Eligibility Requirements for the Juniata

Sign-up for CSP

To apply for CSP, producers will be asked to complete a self-assessment workbook (requires Adobe Acrobat), verify that they meet eligibility requirements, and provide records that document proper management as a condition for application. Pennsylvania NRCS has developed additional worksheets to help producers determine if they are eligible.    

** Funding for CSP is limited. Applicants are evaluated in a nationwide selection process in which the producers who have done the most conservation activities get preference for a conservation contract. Contracts are between 5 and 10 years in length.          

 On-Line Self Assessment - Complete a Conservation Security Program Self Assessment  (Requires Adobe Acrobat)
 On-Line Self Assessment (Spanish)

 Defining the Ag Operation

 2008 Payment Schedule (Requires Microsoft Excel)
 Weekly Report State Form (Requires Microsoft Excel)

Interview Materials
 Conservation Assistance Notes (Requires Adobe Acrobat)
 Stewardship Activities 2008 (Requires Microsoft Excel)
 Group and Category Charts (Requires Microsoft Word)
 Cropland Soil Quality (Requires Microsoft Word)

Eligibility Tools
  Drainage Water Management Assessment Tool (Requires Microsoft Excel)
  Drainage Water Management - Potential Drainage Values (Requires Microsoft Excel)
  Grazing Lands Eligibility Tool Instructions (Requires Microsoft Word)
  Grazing Lands Eligibility Tool (Requires Microsoft Excel)
  Irrigation Water Management Assessment Tool (Requires Microsoft Excel)
  Soil and Water Eligibility Tool Instructions (Requires Microsoft Word)
  Soil and Water Eligibility Tool (Requires Microsoft Excel)

Watershed-Specific Eligibility Tools
 Wildlife Eligibility Tool (Juniata) (Requires Microsoft Excel)
 Wildlife-Friendly Trees and Shrubs (Juniata) (Requires Adobe Acrobat)
 Additional Criteria for Tier 3 (Juniata) (Requires Microsoft Word)
 

...More Info

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelly Ireland, CSP Manager, 717-237-2260                    
Barry Frantz, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, 717-237-2216

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