USDA Opens 2005 Conservation Security Program Sign-Up;

West Virginia farmers and ranchers among those eligible for first nationwide program

Morgantown WV, March 22, 2005—Farmers and ranchers in three West Virginia watersheds are among those invited to participate in the first national sign up of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) new Conservation Security Program (CSP). The sign up will be available from March 28 to May 27.

“CSP is a whole new direction in the history of USDA conservation programs,” said Acting West Virginia State Conservationist Ronald L Hilliard. “Conservation incentive programs and technical assistance to farmers date back to the 1930’s Dust Bowl days. CSP represents the first time agricultural producers are being paid in recognition of their ongoing stewardship of the land.”

In West Virginia, CSP will be available in three watersheds. The Elk River watershed includes parts of Braxton, Clay, Kanawha, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Randolph, Roane, and Webster counties. The Twelvepole Creek watershed includes parts of Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, and Wayne counties. The Little Muskingum-Middle Island (Upper Ohio River 3) watershed includes parts of Doddridge, Marshall, Pleasants, Tyler, Wetzel, and Wood counties.

Nationally, CSP is available on private agricultural land in 220 watersheds, covering about 185 million acres, in every state and the Caribbean. The national $202 million budget will allow NRCS to offer an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 contracts to eligible farmers and ranchers.

To prepare agricultural producers for this new program, West Virginia NRCS held five workshops across eligible watershed areas. “We hope most of the eligible producers interested in CSP had a chance to attend a workshop and get a first hand explanation of the new goals and requirements associated with the program,” said Hilliard.

The workshops explained that CSP offers three levels or tiers of participation, depending on the amount of the farm enrolled and the current level of documented conservation. Payments will be made based on this tier level as well as the producer’s agreement to do additional practices to further enhance the environment. Tier I contracts (covering part of a farming operation) run for five years while Tier II and III contracts (covering all of a farming operation) can extend for 10 years.

“All successful applications begin with demonstrated protection of soil and water quality,” says Hilliard. “This would typically mean managing a farm using a mix of practices such as conservation tillage, pest and nutrient management, crop rotation, cover crops, prescribed grazing, livestock water sources, and vegetation buffers. However most CSP participants will go beyond the minimum and work to further enhance soil and water, improve wildlife habitat, or conserve or produce on-farm energy.”

Payments will vary depending on the land use (e.g. cropland and rangeland/pastureland), the amount of land enrolled, the tier level and the enhancements undertaken. One-time payments for new practices can also be included in a contract.

To apply, interested applicants should first do a self-assessment of their farming operation. These were available at workshops or can be obtained in hard copy or CD version from USDA Service Centers in watershed areas. Additionally, the self-assessment and other program information may be accessed at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp. Once applicants have filled in required information based on their records from the past two years, they may call their local office for an appointment. NRCS conservationists will then help them complete their resource inventory, determine their level of participation and determine possible payments.

For more information, please contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or your local conservation district. Information also is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/

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