The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

What is CSP?
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a comprehensive working lands program available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). CSP rewards producers for practices and systems that protect the environment and natural resources. The program targets practices that conserve or improve soil, water, air, energy, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat. Through CSP, producers receive technical and financial assistance for maintaining existing conservation measures and for adopting additional conservation practices. The NRCS will will award five-year CSP contracts to qualifying producers for up to $200,000. Enrollment for the program is nationwide and continuous. The 2009 sign-up for CSP is closed. We will update this page with information for the 2010 sign-up once NRCS makes it available.

Benefits for Organic Farmers
CSP rewards producers for the conservation benefits of their existing organic farming and ranching systems. Organic practices are among the more than 70 activities CSP targets. Some of these include organic cropping and livestock systems, establishment of pollinator habitat, conservation tillages, resource conserving crop rotations, rotational grazing, and continuous cover cropping. Practices that sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gasses are also rewarded. In addition, the 2008 Farm Bill requires NRCS to provide technical assistance specific to organic producers.

• How to Sign up for CSP
• Frequently Asked Questions About CSP
• Organizations Assisting Farmers Applying to Conservation Programs
• Upcoming Events and Field Days for CSP
• Useful Resources for Farmers

If you have any questions, contact Tracy Lerman, Policy Organizer at (831) 426-6606 x 108 or tracy@ofrf.org.

How to Sign up for CSP

(Note - steps 1 and 2 must have been completed by September 30, 2009 in order to be considered for the 2009 funding pool. We will update this page with information about the 2010 sign-up when NRCS makes it available.)

1) Complete a producer self-screening checklist to see if CSP is right for you. This checklist will determine if you meet the programs applicant eligibility, land eligibility, and stewardship threshold eligibility. You can download the checklist from the NRCS website or fill it out at your local NRCS Service Center.

2) Fill out a Contract Program Application in your local NRCS Service Center. This application is a simple 3 page form that asks you basic questions about your operation. You can download the form and supplemental information from the NRCS website.

3) Establish a record at the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) if you have not already done so. In order to apply for any USDA conservation program, you must be an operator in the FSA farm records management system. You must have this done by October 30, 2009 for the 2009 sign-up. You can establish a record in the FSA system at your local FSA Service Center.

4) Determine your ranking score by completing the Conservation Measurement Tool at your local NRCS Service Center. Farmers who are eligible applicants for CSP complete this new online tool (soon to be available on the NRCS website) which will evaluate your existing conservation level and proposed additional improvements. This step may be started anytime after mid September and must be completed by the end of October. Check with your local NRCS service center for specific dates in your region.

NRCS will rank applicants based on their ranking score and will determine which applicants are eligible for enrollment by about mid-November.

5) NRCS field staff will conduct an on-site field verification. If your application is approved for enrollment, NRCS field staff visit your operation to verify that the information provided in your application is correct.

6) Develop a contract with NRCS. Once your application is field-verified, you will work with NRCS field staff to develop a contract and a conservation stewardship plan. The conservation stewardship plan is the schedule of conservation activities to be implemented, managed, or improved during the contract's life. Implementation of the plan begins in 2010, with the first CSP payment made in October of 2010.

Useful Resources for Farmers

New! Help Shape the Conservation Stewardship Program - Send in Your Comments by October 28, 2009.

New! Farmers' Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program - from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Updated! A list of Frequently Asked Questions about CSP

OFRF Policy Staff interviews NRCS Chief Dave White about CSP - read the full article and listen to audio clips.

OFRF Podcast on CSP - OFRF Senior Policy Analyst Mark Lipson talks about CSP and the benefits to organic growers.

Conservation Stewardship Program Estimated Payment Ranges - an NRCS fact sheet about the estimated range of payments CSP participants can expect to receive.

USDA Update on the New Conservation Stewardship Program - a webinar interview with NRCS Chief Dave White and NRCS staff and power point presentation about CSP.

The NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program Information Page - the official program information page from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The NRCS CSP Conservation Activity List - the list of activities that CSP rewards. Applicants can already be practicing these activities or list them as activities that they plan to implement on their operation.

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 CSP Action Alert and Press Release.

Using CSP on Your Farm - a fact sheet put out by the Land Stewardship Project.

Page updated Oct. 21, 2009.