Tippecanoe Watershed Eligible For CSP Monies
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a sign-up period for the Conservation Security Program, authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, will be March 28 to May 27 in 220 watersheds covering about 185 million acres in every state and the Caribbean. Administered by the natural Resources Conservation Service, CSP is a voluntary program supporting ongoing conservation stewardship of agricultural working lands and enhances the condition of natural resources. The national $202 million budget will allow NRCS to offer an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 contracts to eligible farmers and ranchers.
Among this year's 202 nationally selected watersheds, the Tippecanoe, Middle Wabash Deer, Middle Wabash Busseron and Upper Maumee watersheds include portions of Indiana and represent nearly 7,300 farmers. In addition, USDA is offering sign-up opportunity to producers in the 18 CSP pilot watersheds of 2004, including the St. Joseph and Auglaize watersheds in Indiana.
"By extending sign-up to six Indiana watersheds this year, the program offers the opportunity for a host of Hoosier farmers to apply if they meet the criteria," said NRCS state conservationist Jane Hardisty. "The program recognizes and rewards producers who already practice good stewardship and provide the environmental benefits that society expects."
An initial questionaire is available on the Internet at www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CSP/questionnaire.html will help land managers determine their potential eligibility in the program. land managers who successfully answer the questionnaire need to complete the CSP Self-Assessment Workbook, which can be found at csp.sc.egov.usda.gov/ or at a local NRCS office. The workbook also is available in Spanish at www.nrcs.usda
.gov/feature/espanol/index.html#csp. If land managers could not answer "yes" to all the questions on the initial questionnaire, they should contact their local NRCS office to discuss a conservation plan and to look at other programs that could help them implement conservation practices on their farms.
Farmers outside he current CSP watersheds should also utilize the self-assessment tools to determine what they need to do to prepare for the next round. THe program is offered each year on a rotational basis in as many watersheds a funding allows. Most agricultural land is eligible for CSP.
Payments can include four components: 1) and annual stewardship component for the benchmark conservation treatment; 2) an annual existing practice component for maintaining existing conservation practices; 3) a one-time new practice component for specific additional needed practices; and 4) an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort. The three tiers are capped at $20,000, $35,000 and $45,000 annually and will last for five years for Tier 1 and five to 10 years for Tier II and Tier III.
Call the Kosciusko SWCD at 574-267-7445, Ext. E, for more information. [[In-content Ad]]
INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a sign-up period for the Conservation Security Program, authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, will be March 28 to May 27 in 220 watersheds covering about 185 million acres in every state and the Caribbean. Administered by the natural Resources Conservation Service, CSP is a voluntary program supporting ongoing conservation stewardship of agricultural working lands and enhances the condition of natural resources. The national $202 million budget will allow NRCS to offer an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 contracts to eligible farmers and ranchers.
Among this year's 202 nationally selected watersheds, the Tippecanoe, Middle Wabash Deer, Middle Wabash Busseron and Upper Maumee watersheds include portions of Indiana and represent nearly 7,300 farmers. In addition, USDA is offering sign-up opportunity to producers in the 18 CSP pilot watersheds of 2004, including the St. Joseph and Auglaize watersheds in Indiana.
"By extending sign-up to six Indiana watersheds this year, the program offers the opportunity for a host of Hoosier farmers to apply if they meet the criteria," said NRCS state conservationist Jane Hardisty. "The program recognizes and rewards producers who already practice good stewardship and provide the environmental benefits that society expects."
An initial questionaire is available on the Internet at www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CSP/questionnaire.html will help land managers determine their potential eligibility in the program. land managers who successfully answer the questionnaire need to complete the CSP Self-Assessment Workbook, which can be found at csp.sc.egov.usda.gov/ or at a local NRCS office. The workbook also is available in Spanish at www.nrcs.usda
.gov/feature/espanol/index.html#csp. If land managers could not answer "yes" to all the questions on the initial questionnaire, they should contact their local NRCS office to discuss a conservation plan and to look at other programs that could help them implement conservation practices on their farms.
Farmers outside he current CSP watersheds should also utilize the self-assessment tools to determine what they need to do to prepare for the next round. THe program is offered each year on a rotational basis in as many watersheds a funding allows. Most agricultural land is eligible for CSP.
Payments can include four components: 1) and annual stewardship component for the benchmark conservation treatment; 2) an annual existing practice component for maintaining existing conservation practices; 3) a one-time new practice component for specific additional needed practices; and 4) an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort. The three tiers are capped at $20,000, $35,000 and $45,000 annually and will last for five years for Tier 1 and five to 10 years for Tier II and Tier III.
Call the Kosciusko SWCD at 574-267-7445, Ext. E, for more information. [[In-content Ad]]