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Conservation Security Program

Photo of stripcroppingCSP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands. Working lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land that is an incidental part of an agriculture operation. The program is available in all 50 States, the Caribbean Area and the Pacific Basin area. The program provides equitable access to benefits to all producers, regardless of size of operation, crops produced, or geographic location.

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) (Pub. L. 107-171) amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the program. CSP is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

August 26-27, 2004 CSP Signing Ceremonies

CSP Self Assessment Workbook is Now On-Line!

Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight released a self-assessment workbook for potential CSP participants. By going through the workbook, producers will get a good idea about whether they are eligible for CSP at this time. Producers who may not be eligible can find out about programs that can help them achieve a higher level of conservation so that they may apply for CSP in the future.

To complete the Self-Assessment on-line, go to CSP Self-Assessment. 

The Self-Assessment also is available for download -- see below.

These documents require Adobe Acrobat reader.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentSelf-Assessment Workbook, (complete workbook, all pages) (941.12KB)

For faster-downloading, the  Self Assessment workbook is also available in two separate sections, without photos:

    Adobe Acrobat DocumentWorkbook Pages, (pages 1-24), (205.05KB)
    Adobe Acrobat DocumentAppendices without images, (pages 25-55), (296.97KB)

CSP Brochures

Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP_Brochure.pdf (9.48 MB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP_Watershed.pdf (10.9 MB)

CSP Watershed Information is Now On-Line!

CSP Watershed information is now available online. Click on the Watershed where your farm or ranching interest is located. This will take you to specific information for that Watershed.  More information for the CSP watersheds will be available soon.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentWatershed Selection Key Points (80.7 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentWatershed Selection Questions and Answers (79 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentWatershed Approach Key Points (32.28 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentWatershed Approach Questions and Answers (62.82 KB)

CSP FY-2004 Contract and Payment Information

Adobe Acrobat DocumentFY-2004 CSP Contracts Approved by Watershed, August 28, 2004 (8.34 KB)  New
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFy-2004 CSP Payments Approved by Watershed, August 28, 2004 (8.17 KB)   New

CSP Rules, Notices, and Supporting Documents

Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP Fact Sheet - (50.14 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP Comprehensive Key Points (63.07 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP: Extension of Public Comment Period to October. 5, 2004 for Interim Final Rule (49.76 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentInterim Final Rule, with request for comments by September 20, 2004, June 21, 2004 (236.775 KB) - New!
 Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP Notice, Sign-up Announcement, CSP-1 New!
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP Economic Analysis of Interim Final Rule (637.30 KB) New!
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCSP Civil Rights Analysis Interim Final Rule
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSummary of Interim Final Rule (33.8 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFederal Register Notice, (May 4, 2004) (38.63 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFederal Register Notice, Extension of Comment Period, March 21, 2003 (42 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentFederal Register Notice, Advance Rulemaking, February 18, 2003 (42 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentProposed Rule, 7 CFR Part 1469, January 2, 2004 (271 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentSummary of the Proposed Rule (62 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentEconomic Analysis, Proposed Rule, (116 KB)
Adobe Acrobat DocumentCivil Rights Analysis, Proposed Rule, (115.17 KB)

Related Program Information

Adobe Acrobat DocumentConservation Security Program, Section 2001 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) (85.5 KB)

New! These items require RealPlayer :

CSP Program Underway-    RealPlayer Presentation (46.47KB)   MP3 Audio (856.80KB)
The very first contracts for the USDA´s Conservation Security Program have been signed. ( Kristi Pettis and Dep.Secy´ James Moseley)

Actuality: First Conservation Security Contracts Signed-    RealPlayer Presentation (37.82KB)    MP3 Audio (674.77KB)
Deputy Agriculture Secretary James Moseley, from a farm in Vernon Center, Minnesota, talking about the farm´s signing of the first CSP contract.

CSP Comments are In!

To view comments at our headquarters office in
Washington DC, please contact us at 202-720-1845.

Click here to view comments online

Response to the Conservation Security Program proposed rule was
tremendous.  More than 11,500 letters and emails, representing
over 60,000 comments, arrived in David McKay's office by the end
of the public comment period. An NRCS team is recording, cataloging,
and analyzing the comments. All comments will be considered as
NRCS develops the final guidelines
for implementing the program.

The Conservation Security Program comment analysis team assembled by NRCS

Click on photo to enlarge
Left to Right: Sitting - Camilia Carter, Idalis Berrios, Cindy Turner,
Dave McKay, June Hansen, Michele Gidcumb, Michelle Hill;
Standing - Margaret Manual, Denise Coleman, Dee DiFiore, Dawn Wilson
 
NRCS Program Contact

Craig Derickson, 202-720-3524