HONOLULU, March 9, 2005-You may be qualified for a land stewardship award! The
Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that
supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing
payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. CSP identifies and
rewards those farmers and ranchers who are meeting the highest standards of
conservation and environmental management on their operations. In short, CSP
rewards the best and motivates the rest.
How CSP Works
1. The CSP sign-up will be offered in selected priority watersheds across
the Nation.
2. Producers complete a self-assessment to determine eligibility.
3. Eligible producers within these watersheds submit an application.
4. Based on the application, description of conservation activities, and a
follow-up interview, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will
determine which program tier and enrollment category are available for the
applicant. NRCS will provide the necessary materials for producers to
complete the benchmark inventory.
Basic Eligibility
Both the producer and the producer’s operation must first answer “yes” to
the following questions:
1. Do you have cropland, hayland, pastureland, rangeland, vineyards,
orchards, and/or specialty cropland (at least 51% of operation must be in
this years selected watersheds—see map) that you wish to enroll in CSP?
2. Do you own or have control of the land you intend to enroll for the
length of the proposed 5 to 10 year contract period?
3. Do you share in the risk of producing the crop or livestock on this farm?
4. Do you manage your nutrient usage and have records showing soil tests at
least once in the past five years for the acreage you wish to enroll in CSP?
5. Are your crop and pasture fields free of active gullies?
6. Do you have at least two years of records of your pest management methods
and applications for the acres you with to enroll?
Note: Portions of your farm or operation currently enrolled in the
Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program or Grassland Reserve
Program are not eligible acres for the CSP program.
If you have answered yes to all of these questions, you may wish to consider
attending one of the following CSP information meetings to find out what
opportunities you may have in CSP.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Koloa Public Library (Kauai)
Wednesday, March 16, 2005 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Kapaa Public Library (Kauai)
Thursday, March 17, 2005 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Lihue Public Library (Kauai)
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 from 7 to 9 pm
Kalena Triangle Community Center in Kipahulu (Maui)
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 from 6 to 8 pm
Hana Council Office Meeting Room at the Community Center (Maui)
Visit
www.hi.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.html for more information. You can
also contact Jan Surface, Program Manager at 541-2600 ext. 153 in Honolulu; Lex Riggle, District Conservationist at 245-9014 ext. 101 in Lihue;
or Ranae Ganske-Cerizo, District Conservationist at 244-3100 ext. 107 in
Wailuku. USDA
is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
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