The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Frequently Asked Questions for Organic Producers
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about CSP for organic producers. As we learn more about this program, we will update this page. If you have any questions that you feel should be included but are not, please email Tracy Lerman, Policy Program Organizer at tracy@ofrf.org.
Return to the CSP Resource Page.
PROGRAM BASICS
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
CSP AND ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
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PROGRAM BASICS
What is the Conservation Stewardship Program?
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a comprehensive working lands conservation program designed to protect and improve natural resources and the environment. CSP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to actively manage and maintain existing conservation systems and to implement additional conservation activities on land in agricultural production. CSP targets funding to:
- Address priority resource concerns in a given state, watershed or region.
- Improve soil, water, and air quality.
- Provide increased biodiversity and wildlife and pollinator habitat.
- Sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.
- Conserve water and energy.
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How is this program different from the Conservation Security Program?
The Conservation Security Program was only open to farmers and ranchers in a small number of watersheds each year, and sign-up was only once a year. However, after applicants met eligibility requirements, the Conservation Security Program was less competitive. The new Conservation Stewardship Program is open to all farmers and ranchers on a continuous sign-up basis, but it is a highly competitive program where applicants are ranked relative to the other farmers and ranchers applying in their state or region.
Another major difference related to the sign-up process for the two programs is that enrollment under the Conservation Security Program emphasized existing conservation practices and activities and only a limited number of new activities, leaving other new practices to an annual process by which producers can modify their contracts. By contrast, the Conservation Stewardship Program will address both the active management and maintenance of existing conservation and all planned new conservation activities for the next five years in the original contract, without the need for annual contract modifications.
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Am I eligible to apply for CSP?
You are eligible to apply for CSP if you meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Your adjusted gross income from farming is less than $1 million ($2 million for most married couples) unless at least two-thirds of your total adjusted gross income is farm income, in which case there is no limitation.
- If applicable, your farm is in compliance with highly erodible land and wetland conservation compliance requirements.
- You have documented control of the land for the term of the contract (5 years).
- You must enroll whole farm, including rented and owned land.
- Land you are enrolling must be private or tribal agricultural land or non-industrial private forest land.
- Land already enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program, and the Grasslands Reserve Program cannot also be enrolled in CSP, though such land will count toward your whole farm enrollment requirement.
- Land already enrolled in the old Conservation Security Program cannot be enrolled in the new Conservation Stewardship Program until the old contract has expired.
- Land that is cropped after June 2008 that has not been cropped in 4 out of the previous 6 years (unless it was in the Conservation Reserve Program or was part of a long-term rotation practice) is also ineligible.
You must also establish a record with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and be the operator of record in the FSA system. However, NRCS recently granted an extension on this requirement, giving farmers applying for a 2009 CSP contract until October 30, 2009, to establish an FSA record.
For additional eligibility requirements, download the CSP Producer Self-Screening checklist (PDF).
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What kinds of activities does CSP reward?
CSP rewards both your current conservation efforts and future conservation activities.
Current Conservation Efforts
Your existing conservation efforts that count towards CSP ranking scores and payments are not in the form of a list of conservation practices or enhancements. Rather, NRCS will assess your existing conservation efforts with a new tool called the Conservation Measurement Tool, which will be available on the NRCS website in the next few weeks.
Future Conservation Activities
NRCS has published a list of conservation practices and conservation enhancements that will be eligible for reward should you include them as part of your future conservation activities. Download the NRCS Conservation Activity List (PDF).
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What is the deadline for applying to CSP?
Sign up for CSP is continuous but NRCS will have periodic cut-off dates where they will rank applications they received to determine who receives a contract. The first announced cut-off date for all 2009 enrollments is September 30, 2009. The next cut-off date will be sometime in early 2010. Each year thereafter, the major cut-off date for ranking will likely be early in the calendar year during the winter months. There may also be a secondary ranking period later in the year.
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Where do I find instructions on how to apply for CSP?
For detailed instructions on how to apply and links to online forms, visit any one of these helpful weblinks:
OFRF CSP Resource Page
Accessing the New Conservation Stewardship Program - a comprehensive website with detailed information on CSP from the National Center for Appropriate Technology
New Conservation Stewardship Program and Ten Easy Steps to Participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program - The Center for Rural Affair's information pages on CSP
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Action Alert on CSP
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If I missed the September 30 deadline, can I still apply for CSP?
Yes, you can still apply for CSP, but you will not be eligible for a contract for 2009 funds. Your application will be held until the next ranking period cutoff, which is expected to be sometime in early 2010.
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What is the length of a CSP contract?
All CSP contracts are five years long. You can extend your contract for a second five years if you meet the following specific criteria:
- You are in compliance with the terms of your initial contract.
- You have added any newly-acquired eligible land that is part of your operation and meets minimum treatment criteria as established by NRCS.
- You meet stewardship thresholds for additional priority resource concerns as determined by NRCS.
- You agree to adopt conservation activities as determined by NRCS.
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What is the range of payments per acre for CSP?
By law, the national average for CSP payments is $18 per acre per year. Generally speaking, but depending on the amount of conservation activity planned, payment rates for cropland will be highest, followed by pasture. Forested land and rangeland will have the lowest payment rates.
In addition, NRCS is considering a request from OFRF and other groups for a minimum annual payment level in order to encourage small-scale farmers to participate in the program.
The actual payment rates per acre will be determined by NRCS after enrollments are ranked and farmers admitted to the program. Nonetheless, NRCS has estimated the likely range of payments per acre to be between $5-$22, depending on your current and future conservation activities undertaken and the type of land on which you implement them. In addition, supplemental payments may be available for resource-conserving crop rotations. The estimated range of supplemental payments for resource-conserving crop rotations will be between $12-$16 per acre.
These ranges are based on projections about acreage enrollment and conservation performance, and are only intended as estimates. Your payment level could fall outside these ranges based on your operation’s specific level of conservation performance. For more information on payment rates, read the NRCS fact sheet on estimated payment ranges (PDF).
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What is a resource-conserving crop rotation?
A resource-conserving crop rotation is a rotation consisting of (1) at least one annualcrop combined with two or more years of a perennial grass and/or legume; or (2) a minimum of three different full-season crops where at least 1/3 of the rotation includes a crop defined by the NRCS as a resource conserving crop. For more information, read the NRCS Activity Sheet on resource-conserving crop rotations (PDF).
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Should I apply to CSP if I am a small acreage producer?
The estimated upper end of payments may be $38 per acre and that means many small farms might not find it worth applying. However, NRCS is considering a request from OFRF and other groups to establish a minimum payment level in order to make it worthwhile for small-scale farms to apply for the program. Additionally, your payment level could be higher than $38 per acre, depending on your operation’s conservation performance level. Also, in the previous Conservation Security Program, some smaller acreage farmers signed up even though annual payment for a farm their size was under $500 because they wanted to be recognized as good stewards of the land. Each applicant will perhaps view the trade-off between participation requirements and payment rates differently.
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Can I receive payments for land I rent as well as land I own?
You can receive payments for land you rent and/or own, as long as you can document that you have control of the land for the length of the CSP contract, which is five years. All land, whether owned or rent, is to be enrolled in the program. The only exception would be for land that is run as a completely separate operation with separate equipment, labor, finances, and management.
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How many years can I receive conservation payments under CSP?
You will receive conservation payments under CSP for the length of the CSP contract. Each year’s payment rate will be the same. All CSP contracts are five years, and CSP contracts can be extended for an additional five years if the terms of the first contract have been fulfilled and additional conservation efforts are agreed to.
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How is the schedule of activities I will have to complete during my CSP contract determined, and what is the schedule of payments?
When you are developing your CSP contracts with NRCS, you will determine the schedule of activities you plan to complete. You are required to complete all new enhancement activities by the third year of the contract, and you must complete at least one of these activities in the first year of the contract. The total amount of payments that you receive, based on the conservation outcomes from your current and planned conservation activities in your contract, is averaged out for each of the five years, and you receive one payment a year until the end of the contract. Due to the very late start for the 2009 sign-up, both 2009 contract holders and 2010 contract holders will receive their first payment in October of 2010.
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Can I enroll land in CSP and in other NRCS Conservation Programs?
You cannot enroll land in CSP that is also enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program, or the Conservation Security Program. However, you can enroll a portion of your land in one of the reserve programs while placing the rest of the farm in the Conservation Stewardship Program. For instance, you could enroll a riparian buffer in the CRP or a restored wetland in the WRP and then place the working lands that remain in the CSP. You can have the same land enrolled in CSP and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) or the Agricultural Management Assistance program, but you cannot receive payments from CSP and those programs for the same conservation practices.
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THE APPLICATION PROCESS
How much time should I plan to spend with my district NRCS person in order to complete my CSP application?
It will vary depending on the past and current conservation efforts you are making and the new conservation activities you plan to undertake.
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How do I obtain a farm record number from the Farm Service Agency if I do not have one, and why is that important?
In order to be eligible to apply for any NRCS program, you must establish a record in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) system. Previously NRCS had required that CSP applicants already have an FSA record by the September 30 deadline for the initial application. However, NRCS recently granted an extension on this requirement, giving farmers applying for a 2009 CSP contract until October 30, 2009, to establish an FSA record.
To establish a record in the FSA system, you need to make an appointment at your local FSA Service Center to create a farm record, bringing proof of ownership (deed) or lease of the land, location maps outlining crop fields and other land uses as they are currently managed, and any business related legal papers (article of incorporation, trusts etc). Local FSA offices have been put on alert that CSP enrollees that lack FSA farm numbers will be coming to the office to take care of this prerequisite. To find your FSA Service Center, use the FSA Service Center locator.
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What is the producer self-assessment checklist?
The producer self-assessment checklist is a short questionnaire that you complete to determine if CSP is right for you. For more information, download the checklist (PDF).
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What is the stewardship threshold?
The stewardship threshold is the level of natural resource conservation and environmental management required to conserve and improve the quality of and condition of a natural resource. To be eligible for CSP, you must meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for at least one priority resource concern and be willing to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for at least one additional priority resource concern during the term of the contract. This threshold will be measured by a new tool devised for the program called the Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT).
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What is a ranking score?
A ranking score is the score your application receives based on your current conservation activities, those you plan to undertake during your five year CSP contract, and the resources of concern in your state or region. The Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT) generates your ranking score and also determines your payment rate.
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What is a priority resource concern?
A resource concern is a specific natural resource problem that is likely to be addressed successfully through the implementation of conservation activities. A priority resource concern are the resource concerns identified by each state as the most critical in that state.
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How do I find my state's priority resource concerns for CSP?
Call your local NRCS office or check your state NRCS online CSP info page. To find your local office, use the NRCS Service Center Locator. To find your state office website, use the NRCS State Offices info page.
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What is the difference between a conservation practice and a conservation enhancement?
Conservation practices are specified treatments, such as a structural or vegetative practice or management technique, commonly used to meet a specific conservation need in planning and carrying out soil and water conservation programs for which standards and specifications have been developed. Conservation practices are in the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG).
Conservation enhancements are activities specifically designed for CSP that are installed and adopted to treat natural resources and improve conservation performance. Enhancements are implemented at a level of management intensity that exceeds the sustainable level for a given resource concern. Those directly related to a practice standard are applied in a manner that exceeds the minimum acceptable criteria of the standard. An example of an enhancement is a grass-type cover crop used to scavenge nitrogen left in the soil after the harvest of a previous crop.
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What is the Conservation Measurement Tool and why is it important?
The Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT) is the tool that NRCS will use to determine eligibility, rank CSP applicants relative to other applicants, and calculate payment rates. You will complete the CMT with NRCS field staff at their local NRCS service center. Data about your current conservation activities as well as the planned conservation work you will complete during the five year contract period is entered into the CMT, and the CMT uses that data to calculate your ranking score. Your ranking score is also impacted by your state’s priority resource concerns. The highest ranking scores relative to those in your ranking pools and regions will be awarded CSP contracts.
When you are completing the CMT, your understanding of the questions as well as your ability to provide the most accurate responses to the questions will be critical in determining the best possible ranking score for your application.
The CMT will be available on the NRCS website in the next few weeks.
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What type of documentation would be helpful when I am completing my CSP application and the Conservation Measurement Tool?
NRCS does not specify types of documentation, only that applicants will need to provide verification of their existing conservation activities. If you are a certified organic producer, your Organic System Plan (OSP) will be useful in completing the Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT). The OSP will also be useful when NRCS conducts a field visit to verify that the information you included in your application and entered into the CMT are true.
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What type of documentation must I have and maintain in order to participate in CSP?
NRCS does not specify the kind of documentation producers must have, but you will need to substantiate their past conservation efforts when NRCS conducts a field visit to verify that the information you entered into the Conservation Measurement Tool is true. If you are a certified organic grower, you will be able to use your Organic System Plan as part of your documentation.
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Must I have conducted soil tests on all of my fields in order for the field to be eligible for CSP?
Soil tests are not required to participate in CSP. However when you complete the Conservation Measurement Tool, you will need to have some kind of documentation to substantiate your conservation efforts. NRCS does not specific the kinds of documentation that will be required.
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What are the different ranking pools for CSP?
Some applicants will be pooled for ranking into several special pools. The new CSP offers a pool of funds for applicants in control of non-industrial private forest lands (10% of the total 12.8 million acres allowed annually into the program). Also, if state NRCS offices have elected to divide the state into sub-regions with separate priority resources of concern, applicants will be ranked in that sub-region. Additionally, separate pools for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers and beginning farmers or ranchers are established in each state. For each of these two pools, 5% of the available program acreage is available and ranking will occur within these pools and separate from the general ranking procedure in the state.
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How do I find out about the different ranking pools in my state?
Call your local NRCS office or check your state's NRCS online CSP info page. To find your local office, use the NRCS Service Center Locator. To find your state office website, use the NRCS State Offices info page.
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CSP AND ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
What kind of assistance does CSP provide to organic producers?
CSP does not make a distinction between organic and non-organic production systems. However, organic production systems are generally very good conservation systems and are likely to rank high and receive the highest payments per acre. Among the CSP enhancements that you may select as part of your CSP contracts are organic cropping systems, organic grazing systems, organic pest management, organic conservation tillage, and non-chemical pest control for livestock.
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Is there a special organic set aside?
The CSP does not have a special organic set aside at this time.
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How is CSP different from the EQIP Organic Initiative?
CSP provides ongoing payments for active management and maintenance of current conservation efforts and supports new conservation efforts. While CSP has organic-specific enhancements for you to choose from, the program per se is not specific to organic or non-organic systems of production. CSP also requires a high level of conservation effort to get into the program. The EQIP Organic Initiative provides one-time payments to producers to implement new conservation practices that will be part of transitioning to organic production or will enhance current conservation efforts by existing organic producers. For more information on the EQIP Organic Initiative, visit our EQIP OI Resource Page.
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Is there anyone that can help me understand the Conservation Measurement Tool so I properly interpret the questions in order to improve my competitive edge as an organic farmer?
Although it varies highly from one NRCS field office to the other, in general. NRCS field staff has only limited experience working with organic production systems. As an organic farmer, you will have to work to communicate the differences between your system of production and other conventional systems. For example, NRCS field staff may understand Integrated Pest management planning but not how to manage pests without the use of synthetic pesticides. This will be an opportune time to educate them on your organic system plan and how you are conserving important natural resources through organic production.
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I am certified organic under the NOP. How can I use my Organic System Plan to expedite my CSP application?
An organic system plan should help the NRCS field staff understand your current conservation activities and should help in providing the information needed for the Conservation Measurement Tool. This will depend on the familiarity of the NRCS field staff with organic production systems and how such systems relate to good conservation practices.
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Can I use the same farm/field maps for organic certification and for CSP?
Yes. These maps should help NRCS field staff input information into the Conservation Measurement Tool and with field-verification of your current and future conservation efforts.
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Is there a "crosswalk" between CSP and organic certification?
There is currently no formal crosswalk between CSP and organic certification, but an organic system plan should help NRCS understand the conservation activities being practiced on an organic operation. NRCS is in the process of creating more information relevant to simultaneous participation in CSP and the National Organic Program that may be published in the coming year.
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If approved, will I qualify for a special payment because I am certified organic?
There is no payment bonus for organic producers per se. However, there are several organic-specific enhancements that you may adopt as new practices (organic cropping systems, organic grazing systems, organic pest management, organic conservation tillage, and non-chemical pest control for livestock). In addition, new or improved resource-conserving crop rotations qualify for a special CSP supplemental payment, estimated by NRCS to be in the range of $12-16 per acre.
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Is my CSP ranking score impacted if I manage my land organically, but am not certified?
In general, organically managed land (whether certified or not) should provide multiple conservation benefits. The CSP does not distinguish explicitly between certified organic, non-certified organic, and non-organic agriculture systems, so your organic certification status should not impact your CSP application or ranking score.
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Page updated September 25, 2009. |
