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For Immediate Release
Contact: Becky Fletcher, State Public Affairs Officer
Phone: 317-295-5825
Email: rebecca.fletcher@in.usda.gov
Indianapolis, IN November 29, 2016 – Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Jane Hardisty
announced today that Indiana is now accepting applications for enrollment in
the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest conservation
program.
NRCS has made several revisions to the program this year to
help producers better evaluate their conservation options and the benefits to
their operations and natural resources. New methods and software for evaluating
applications will help producers see up front why they are or are not meeting
stewardship thresholds, and allow them to pick practices and enhancements that
work for their conservation objectives. These new tools also allow
producers to see potential payment scenarios for conservation early in the
process.
“The updated Conservation Stewardship Program provides even
more opportunities for conservation and greater flexibility at the local level
to prioritize resource concerns and conservation approaches,” says Hardisty.
“Customized CSP tools for Indiana will improve the customer experience during
application evaluations.”
The sign-up runs through February 3, 2017 and producers are
encouraged to go ahead and apply. CSP is for
producers who are already established conservation stewards and who want to add
more conservation benefits on their land, such as improved water and soil
quality and enhanced wildlife habitat. Applications
are available in local USDA service centers.
Changes that producers can expect to see include nearly
double the enhancements and conservation practices offered and better reporting
tools to tell producers the results of their conservation efforts on their
land.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners
earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation
activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips,
and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active
agriculture production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of
new technologies and management techniques, such as precision agriculture
applications, on-site carbon storage and
planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and soil health practices
to improve water quality.
Using input from producers and
stakeholders, CSP was redesigned to provide more flexibility in helping to
address local resource concerns. Now, NRCS will more effectively utilize
input from farmers and partners in Indiana’s State Technical Committee and
local workgroups to inform and expand conservation strategies. Producers will
be better prepared to apply because they will know these local ranking
priorities and targeted resource concerns in advance.
Information about CSP, including
national and state ranking questions and enhancement descriptions, is available
at www.nrcs.usda.gov/csp. This one-stop shop, which provides
information to help individuals determine whether CSP is right for them, will
be continually updated as more information becomes available.
For more information about NRCS and other technical and
financial assistance available through conservation programs, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or
contact your District Conservationist http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/in/contact/local/.
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Contacts:
Jane Hardisty, State Conservationist, 317-295-5801 (jane.hardisty@in.usda.gov)
Jerry Roach, ASTC for Programs, 317-295-5820 (jerry.roach@in.usda.gov)
Rebecca Fletcher, Public Affairs Specialist, 317-295-5825 (rebecca.fletcher@in.usda.gov)
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