Growers from 220 Watersheds to Receive $1 Billion for CSP

Gearing up for its third official year on the books, the Conservation Security Program will offer 12,700 contracts from the 220 selected watersheds. These 2005 contracts being offered translate into more than a $1 billion long-term commitment to conservation over the next ten years.

"CSP participants are conservation innovators. What they do today will lead to additional environmental benefits for the nation as they share their knowledge of conservation with others," says Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner at a CSP event in Carroll County, Maryland. "The program is offered nationally on working lands rewarding the nation's leading conservationists and providing incentives for them and others to do more."

The CSP contracts offered cover about 9 million acres of private land in the 220 watersheds nationwide. USDA expects to fully invest the $202 million provided by Congress for this fiscal year. Environmental enhancement activities offered by applicants include improving soil quality, water quality, wildlife habitat management, nutrient and pest management, air quality management and on-farm energy management.

Following the process outlined in the CSP sign-up notice published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2005, applications will be offered according to the published enrollment categories, in order, until the funding is exhausted. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will offer contracts to applications in enrollment categories A and B and subcategory C-1.

The number of applications accepted by state for each tier of conservation accomplishments is as follows: