CSP Rewards Land Stewards
- CSP recognizes the contributions of the best land stewards and
encourages them to do more. The program is based on conservation
accomplishments. It is not an alternative way to provide income to
producers.
- USDA is committed to the vision of CSP as a nationwide conservation
program.
- While there are outstanding producers in many watersheds, NRCS has
to make some tough choices to allocate the available financial
resources.
Watershed Selection Criteria
There are several criteria for selecting watersheds to
participate. Initial requirements for watersheds were:
- A wide variety of land uses (crops, rangeland, pasture,
vineyards/orchards) and input intensities.
- High-priority resource issues to be addressed, including issues that
meet state priorities.
- A history of good land stewardship on the part of landowners.
- The availability of the technical tools necessary – such as
digitized soils information – to streamline program implementation.
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Landowner Participation
- Each participant will be chosen based on a self-assessment of their
agricultural operation. The workbook for the self-assessment is on the web
at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/
- Other landowners can act now to make their operations more
competitive for later sign-ups. Steps include – doing the self
assessment, developing a conservation plan, and implementing the
appropriate conservation measures.
Why the Watershed Approach
- Watersheds are nature’s boundaries. They are a common sense way to
group together producers working in related environmental areas.
- Implementing CSP on a watershed basis allows NRCS to measure
environmental success in a way that State or county lines couldn’t be
expected to do.
- Since everyone lives in a watershed, as we rotate through the
nation’s watersheds every farmer and rancher will get a chance to
participate.
- The watershed approach will allow NRCS staff and private technical
service providers to more thoroughly assist landowners who apply during
the initial CSP sign-up.
- NRCS can also help landowners in other watersheds assess their
resources and prepare for future participation in the program.
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