Application Deadline for 2015 Conservation Stewardship Program is February 27

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USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service

Feb 11, 2015, 01:25 ET

DAVIS, Calif., Feb. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making available $100 million this year through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and private landowners interested in participating are encouraged to get their applications in soon.

Although applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forest landowners should submit applications by Feb. 27, 2015 to ensure they are considered for this year's funding. Applications received after that date will be considered for future funding.

"CSP is a way of incentivizing farmers, ranchers, and private forest managers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship," said NRCS Assistant State Conservationist Alan Forkey. "By focusing on multiple resource concerns, landowners are able to achieve a sustainable landscape and maintain or increase the productivity of their operations."

Through CSP, participants take additional conservation steps to improve the resource conditions on their land, including soil, air and habitat quality, water quality and quantity, and energy conservation. The 2015 CSP sign-up offers many new enhancements beneficial to California producers' stewardship goals. The new CSP enhancements address forest production and wildlife habitat, soil health on all land uses and migratory and shorebird habitat on rice operations.

CSP will also help broaden the impacts of NRCS' Landscape Conservation Initiatives through a new pilot effort, which accelerates private lands conservation activities to address particular goals, such as creating habitat for at-risk species and conserving and cleaning water. This pilot effort includes NRCS' Sage Grouse Initiative in California.

Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners interested in submitting applications for CSP should make an appointment with the local NRCS conservationist to complete a resource inventory of their land to determine the conservation performance for existing and new conservation activities. This information will be used to establish program eligibility, rank applications, and calculate payments.

Landowners may also use a CSP self-screening checklist to determine if the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements, and payment types.

A detailed CSP program description and self-screening worksheet for producers are available at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/

For more on technical and financial assistance available through conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or a local USDA service center.

SOURCE USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service