Location of four
selected watersheds (54 KB)
HONOLULU, Nov. 8, 2004-Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the
watersheds eligible for the fiscal year 2005 Conservation Security Program
(CSP) sign-up to be held this winter. Two hundred two watersheds have been
selected representing nearly one-eighth or nearly 208,000 of the nation's
potentially eligible farms and ranches covering more than 83 million acres
in every state and the Caribbean area.
"This voluntary program supports ongoing stewardship of working agricultural
lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural
resources," Veneman said. "Resource conservation improves water, air and
soil quality, gives us healthier landscapes and promotes wildlife habitat."
Authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill, the 2005 CSP will include a renewable
energy component. Eligible farmers will receive compensation for converting
to renewable energy fuels such as soy bio-diesel and ethanol, for recycling
100 percent of on-farm lubricants, and for implementing energy production,
including wind, solar, geothermal, and methane production.
"I am very excited about this new opportunity for Local Work Groups to help
recognize our most deserving land stewards," stated Lawrence Yamamoto, NRCS
Hawaii State Conservationist. "While selected Kauai and Maui watersheds were
selected this year for Hawaii, we all have the opportunity to complete the
self assessment online and prepare for next year's announcement of
watersheds."
"Maui and Kauai are the first islands to benefit from the Conservation
Security Program which is in its second year," said Congressman Ed Case
(Hawaii, 2nd District), a member of the House Agriculture Committee and its
Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research which
reviewed the program during a congressional field hearing in Hilo earlier
this year. " The hearing we held provided the opportunity for me to
stress the importance of this program for all of us in Hawaii where prime
agricultural and undeveloped lands face the constant threat of
overdevelopment and overuse. This program provides incentives to ranchers,
farmers and landowners to keep their lands in production while protecting
and sustaining conservation areas on their properties."
A sign-up announcement will be published later, along with the final rule
that will detail specific program requirements in the watersheds. The
program will be offered each year on a rotational basis in as many
watersheds as funding allows.
The funds that will be dedicated to CSP are part of the $1.6 billion in
mandatory funding that Veneman announced last week to help farmers and
ranchers better plan their conservation efforts. USDA released these funds
to help farmers and ranchers better plan their conservation efforts by
knowing the initial mandatory program funding and technical assistance
levels well before the next planting season begins, thus helping to connect
their business decisions to protecting water, air, soil and wildlife.
Additional information on CSP, including a map of the fiscal year 2005
watersheds and eligibility requirements, is on the Web at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp. USDA is an equal opportunity employer
and provider.
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