FY 2009-10 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008) Farm Bill) replaces the Conservation Security Program with the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for fiscal years 2009 through 2017.  The CSP encourages land stewards to improve their conservation performance by installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land.  The NRCS will make CSP available nationwide on a continuous application basis.

Conservation Stewardship Program Fact Sheet (PDF; 43.5 KB)

Eligibility

The CSP is available on Tribal and private agricultural lands, as well as nonindustrial private forest lands statewide.  Individual producers, legal entities, corporations, and Indian Tribes may be eligible for the program.  Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forest land, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe.

Applicants must:

• Be the operator of record in the USDA farm records management system for the eligible land being offered for enrollment;
• Have documented control of the land for the term of the proposed contract;
• Include the eligible land in their entire operation as represented for other USDA programs;
• Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions and adjusted gross income.

Producer Self-Screening Checklist (PDF; 97.5 KB)

Benefits

The CSP payments will compensate producers for:

• Installing and adopting additional conservation activities;
• Improving, maintaining, and managing conservation activities in place at the time the contract offer is accepted by the Secretary;
• Adopting resource-conserving crop rotation to achieve beneficial crop rotations;
• Engaging in activities related to on-farm conservation research and demonstration activities, and pilot testing of new technologies or innovative conservation practices.

The CSP payment to an individual or legal entity may not exceed $200,000 for all contracts entered into during any 5-year period.  For all contracts, CSP payment to a person or legal entity may not exceed $40,000 in any year.

Payment Range Estimate (PDF; 29.2 KB)

South Dakota Resource Concerns and Ranking Areas

Through CSP, applicants will be able to address identified state resource concerns on working lands.  Due to the great variation in resource conditions, farming and ranching management, and climatic differences, the state has been divided into three ranking areas.

  Applicants with agricultural land applications will be ranked for the area in which the majority of their agricultural operation is located. 

  Applicants with non-industrial private forestland will be ranked on a statewide basis.

2009 Enhancement Activity Job Sheets

"Enhancement" means a type of conservation activity used to treat natural resources and improve conservation performance.  Enhancements are installed at a level of management intensity that exceeds the sustainable level for a given resource concern, and those directly related to a practice standard are applied in a manner that exceeds the minimum treatment requirements of the standard. 

• Complete Conservation Activity List (PDF; 98 KB)
• List of Individual Enhancement Activities Available

Conservation Stewardship Program's Contribution to Organic Transitioning

• The Organic Crosswalk (PDF; 45 KB)

South Dakota Resource Conserving Crops

A supplemental payment is available to participants who adopt a resource conserving crop rotation.  Resource conserving crop rotation means a crop rotation that includes at least one resource conserving crop, and reduces wind and water erosion, increases soil organic matter, improves soil fertility and tilth, interrupts pest cycles, reduces depletion of soil moisture or reduces the need for irrigation.  Job Sheet CCR99 provides a description of a resource conserving crop rotation.  Supplemental information is available for South Dakota.

Resource Conserving Crop List - Revised October 1, 2009 (XLS; 29 KB)

National CSP Website

Please contact Rod Voss, at (605) 352 1223, or Mike Kuck, at (605) 352-1206 for further information.

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