NEWS RELEASE

USDA Extends Sign-up for 2008 Conservation Security Program

CSP sign-up will run through May 30, 2008

COLCHESTER, VERMONT, May 9, 2008 – U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Arlen Lancaster announced on May 7^th that producers in 51 eligible watersheds nationwide will have two additional weeks to apply for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) in fiscal year 2008. The sign up now ends on May 30, 2008.

A sign-up extension announcement has been published in the Federal Register. Originally, the CSP sign up was scheduled to run from April 18 – May 16, 2008

“NRCS recognizes the inopportune timing of this year’s sign-up and that farmers and ranchers are busy in their fields. We want to give them as much time as possible,” Lancaster said. “We are extending the sign up as much as possible to allow producers adequate time to gather natural resource information and complete the required self-assessment and application interview. This two-week extension represents the fullest accommodation we can make and deliver a program this year.”

CSP, a voluntary program, encourages and rewards producers who practice outstanding stewardship on working agricultural land by offering financial incentives that increase with the level of conservation effort. Soil and water quality are the primary focus of this program; however, program goals also include improved wildlife habitat, air quality, and environmentally responsible energy production.

In Vermont, CSP is being offered to farmers whose majority of land is located in the Missisquoi watershed. Go to the Vermont NRCS website or contact your local field office for more information.

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