1 Food, Conservation & Energy Act of 2008 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Conservation Stewardship Program Presentation Objectives: Announce Continuous Sign-Up Provide Program Features and Requirements “How To” Begin Application Process

Continuous Sign-Up Announced Target Dates Begin Sign-Up………….... August 10 First Cutoff………....…September 30 Pre-Approve Apps…….November 16 Verify & Approve………November 30

Stewardship Program Purpose Encourage producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by Installing and adopting additional conservation activities Improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities

Created by 2008 Farm Bill Replaces the Conservation Security Program of Prior Years Authorizes 12,796,000 Acres/Year Enrollment Through 2017 Broadens Program Availability

Stewardship Program Features Broadens Program Availability Available nationwide Continuous sign-up with periodic cut-offs for ranking Adds nonindustrial private forest lands as eligible land

Stewardship Program Features Shifts Decision-Making to States Allocates acres to States to manage Focuses on resource concerns identified as a priority for a State or areas of a state Competitively ranks peers who face similar resource challenges

CSP Benefits - Participants Recognition for Excellent Land Stewardship Payment for Performance – 2 types  Annual payment for installing additional conservation activities as scheduled and maintaining existing activities  Supplemental payment available for a participant receiving an annual payment who also adopts a resource-conserving crop rotation

Benefits - Natural Resources and Public Delivers valuable new conservation Expands agricultural and forestry producers’ ability to produce greater environmental benefits:  Improves air, soil, and water quality  Creates and enhances wildlife habitat  Assists address global climate change  Encourages energy conservation and production

Stewardship Program Requirements Program Eligibility Applicant Land Stewardship Threshold Requirement (Land Treatment)

Stewardship Program Eligibility Eligible Applicant Operator in Farm Service Agency records Documented control for contract term Compliant with  Highly Erodible Land & Wetlands Conservation  AGI Supply information to determine eligibility

Stewardship Program Eligibility Eligible Land Private, working agricultural land –Cropland, Pastureland, and Rangeland Agricultural Indian land –Cropland, Pastureland, and Rangeland Nonindustrial private forest land

Stewardship Program Eligibility Land Eligibility - Entire Operation Required Established based on how operator represents their operation for other USDA program participation Application includes eligible land in operator’s entire operation

Stewardship Program Eligibility Ineligible Land CRP, Old CSP, GRP, and WRP Public land - Federal, State, or local Land cropped after 06/18/08 not planted or considered planted 4 of 6 preceding years Land other than eligible  Land not in production, or developed areas

Stewardship Program Eligibility Stewardship Threshold Requirement Must meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for at least: 1 resource concern at time of application; and 1 priority resource concern at time of application, or by end of contract

Stewardship Program Eligibility Stewardship Threshold Land treatment requirement Assessed on each eligible land use Measured using the conservation measurement tool (CMT)

Before Application Process Producer Self-Screening Checklist Completed by potential applicant to independently identify if CSP is right program for them and their operation Available at NRCS field offices and on NRCS Web sites 

Application Process Producers Who Complete Checklist and Believe They Are Eligible May Apply At any time with NRCS – sign-up is continuous One or more ranking periods per year  Ranking period cutoff dates announced Submit application and operation information

Application Process Submit Application & Operation Information Program Contract Application Map/Aerial Photo/Overlay of operation and eligible land  Identify operation  Delineate eligible land use field boundaries  Provide exact eligible land use acres

Application Process Ranking Pools Agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land compete separately Socially disadvantaged pool Beginning pool

Application Process If Applicant and Land Eligibility Are Met Prepare and schedule to complete the Conservation Measurement Tool

Application Process Applicant Preparation for Conservation Measurement Tool Respond to resource inventory questions Review CSP activity list and job sheets for potential new enhancements

Conservation Measurement Tool Estimates Conservation Performance Level Inventories current resource conditions to estimate existing conservation performance level Schedules new conservation activities to estimate performance level improvement

Conservation Measurement Tool Conservation Performance Level Determines land treatment eligibility Ranks applications Establishes annual payment

Application Process Pre-Approved Applicants On-site field verification of resource inventory information provided at application Producer records required Substantiate that resource inventory information was accurate prior to contract approval

Application Process Pre-Approved Applicants If records and site visit verify accuracy of resource inventory information – then proceed to develop stewardship plan and contract If information misrepresented or no records – then application is ineligible

Stewardship Contract Five year contract Owner can be participant Requires participant to maintain existing activities and install new activities as scheduled in plan Payment after October for contract activities carried out in previous year

Payment for Conservation Performance Annual Payment Established using conservation performance estimated by Tool Calculated by land-use type for enrolled eligible land

Payment for Conservation Performance Supplemental Payment Available to participant receiving an annual payment who also adopts a resource- conserving crop rotation

Payment Limitations Person or Legal Entity Limit Regardless of number of contracts, a person or legal entity may not receive direct or indirect payments that in aggregate exceed:  $40,000 during any fiscal year  $200,000 during any 5 year period

Payment Limitations Contract Limit Each contract limited to $200,000 over the term of the initial contract period

CSP Summary Continuous Sign-Up Underway First Cutoff Date - September 30 Potential Applicants Begin With Producer Self-Screening Checklist

33 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.