Conservation Security Program (10.921)
Program
10.921 Conservation Security Program
Federal Agency
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Authorization
Food Security Act of 1985, Title XII, Chapter 2, Subchapter A, of the Food Security Act of 1985, 16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq., Public Law 99-198, as amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, enacted on May 13, 2002, Public Law 107-171.
Program Number
10.921
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
The CSP sets forth a mechanism to provide 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 goal of CSP is to identify and reward those farmers and ranchers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations and to support ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources.
Types of Assistance
Direct Payments for Specified Use.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Eligible applicants may offer eligible land on a portion of their agriculture operation to enter into a five year contract, or entire agriculture operation for a five to ten year contract. Subject to the acceptance of an offer by the Federal Government, the participant shall agree to participate as outlined in the CSP stewardship plan and contract. The contract will include appropriate stewardship, new practice, maintenance, and enhancement payments. Subject to the availability of funds, CCC will make stewardship, existing practice, new practice or enhancement payments at the rates specified in this contract after a determination by CCC than an eligible practice or activity has been established in compliance with the CSP plan of operations and in accordance with appropriate standards and specifications.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
An individual producer, partnership, association, corporation, estate, trust, other business or other legal entities controlling eligible lands. The term producer means and owner, operator, landlord, tenant or sharecropper that shares in the risk of producing any crop or livestock and be entitled to share in the crop or livestock available for marketing from a farm. Land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, the Grassland Reserve Program pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3838n, public land including land owned by a Federal, State or local unit of government is not eligible for enrollment in CSP and may not receive CSP payments.
Beneficiary Eligibility
An individual producer, partnership, association, corporation, estate, trust, other business or other legal entities controlling eligible lands. The term producer means and owner, operator, landlord, tenant or sharecropper that shares in the risk of producing any crop or livestock and be entitled to share in the crop or livestock available for marketing from a farm. Land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, the Grassland Reserve Program pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3838n, public land including land owned by a Federal, State or local unit of government is not eligible for enrollment in CSP and may not receive CSP payments.
Credentials/Documentation
The participant must have control of the land offered for the length of the contract period. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A- 87.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
An environmental impact assessment has been prepared for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Conduct a CSP self-assessment and benchmark condition inventory, and submit an intention to enroll to the local NRCS office that serves the area in which the farm or ranch is located during the designated sign-up period. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular Nos. A-102 and A-110.
Award Procedure
All applications which meet the sign-up criteria within the priority watersheds will be placed in an enrollment category regardless of available funding. Enrollment categories and subcategories will be funded in priority order until the available funds specified in the CSP sign-up notice are exhausted.
Deadlines
NRCS will publish a CSP sign-up notice with a schedule for the sign-up process, including the deadline(s) for applying. At the beginning of each sign-up, the Chief will announce the order in which categories and subcategories are eligible to be funded.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
An applicant or a participant may obtain administrative review of an adverse decision. Participants cannot appeal payment rates, payment limits, and cost-share percentages, eligible conservation practices, or other matters of general applicability. Before a participant can seek judicial review, the participant must exhaust all administrative appeal procedures.
Renewals
The conservation security contract may be renewed, as appropriate, for an additional period of not less than 5, nor more than 10 years.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Payments may have as many as four components including a base conservation stewardship payment, maintenance payment, new practice cost-share payment, and enhancement payment. Payments will be made as described in the contract in return for the implementation and/or maintenance of a specified level of conservation treatment on all or part of the agricultural operation.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
The schedule of payments will be specified in the conservation stewardship contract based on calculations identified in the rule and sign up notice.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
None.
Audits
Recipients are subject to audit by the Office of Inspector General, USDA.
Records
Records will be maintained by the participant, as appropriate and in the county NRCS office, State NRCS office and Federal Record Centers for the length of the agreement.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal year 2004 funds will provide for the enrollment of an estimated 3000 to 5000 contracts for $35,226,600.
Financial Information
Account Identification
12-1004-0-1-302.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $0; FY 04 est $35,226,600; and FY 05 est $177,999,300; Technical Assistance: FY 03 $32,570; FY 04 est $6,216,400; and FY 05 est $31,411,700.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Not applicable.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
The program is announced through news media, local conservation districts, and in letters to agricultural landowners in the county. Regulations published in the Federal Register and 7 CFR XIV.
Related Programs
10.069, Conservation Reserve Program; 10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Consult the local telephone directory for location of the NRCS office. If no listing, contact the appropriate State NRCS office listed in the NRCS Section of Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Financial Assistance Programs Division, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013. Telephone: (202) 690-0848. Use the same number for FTS.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
All eligible offers will be funded in priority order until the available funds specified in the CSP sign-up notice are exhausted.
