USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to remind producers they are accepting Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) renewal applications through March 31 for contracts set to end this year.
Those with existing CSP contracts that close Dec. 31, 2021, can benefit from recent program changes by renewing their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional conservation practices on their land.
“In the fiscal year 2020, NRCS helped enhance 86,456 acres of land enrolled in CSP in Florida,” said Juan Hernandez, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state conservationist. “CSP continues to prove its worth by helping farmers and ranchers advance their business operations through conservation enhancements that sustain the natural resources that improve productivity and their bottom lines.”
CSP is for working lands, including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, non-industrial forestland as well as tribal lands. The program helps producers build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening their operations. CSP provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and resiliency to weather extremes. It also encourages the adoption of new technologies and innovative management techniques.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, buffer strips, pollinators, and beneficial insect habitats, and soil health activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land.
Producers interested in contract renewals or applying for CSP for the first time should visit the CSP webpage or contact their local USDA service center.