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The Conservation Stewardship Program Conservation Stewardship Program Fact Sheets The Land Stewardship Project has launched a series of fact sheets (as Adobe PDF documents) on the Conservation Stewardship Program. Check back here for updates to our fact sheet series.
Conservation Stewardship Program Action Alerts • December 16, 2011: Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Deadline Jan. 13, 2012 • October 5, 2011: Conservation Stewardship Program Funding at Risk • September 2, 2005: Save Nutrition & Conservation Funding by Sept. 16 Conservation Stewardship Program Press Releases • December 19, 2011: Conservation Stewardship Program Deadline Jan. 13 • May 11, 2010: 2010 Conservation Stewardship Program Available for Farmers • August 6, 2009: LSP Farmer-Members Applaud 1st Nationwide Sign-Up for New Conservation Stewardship Program • July 29, 2009: Land Stewardship Project Statement on Release of the Interim Final Rule for the Conservation Stewardship Program • April 19, 2007: Study Finds Conservation Security Program a Catalyst for Midwest Farm Conservation • December 7, 2006: Farmers Push Farm Bill Reform During D.C. Trip • October 11, 2006: Minnesota Farm & Conservation Organizations Call for 2007 Farm Bill Reform • July 21, 2006: Conservation & Beginning Farmer Initiatives Should be Priorities of New Farm Bill: Group to Testify at House Ag Committee Field Hearing Saturday • Nov. 8, 2005: "Land Stewardship Project Statement on 2006 Federal Budget Reconciliation" calls on the U.S. House to vote down the bill so that CSP and other programs can be saved • August 29, 2005: Conservation Security Program Field Day Sept. 8 in Southwest Iowa • March 19, 2005: USDA Announces Conservation Security Program Sign-up to Begin March 28 • June 10, 2004: USDA Sets CSP Sign-up to Start July 6 in Selected Watersheds • March 3, 2004: A Record 10,000 Comments on Conservation Security Program Sent to USDA • February 13, 2004: Send Comments Instantly on Proposed CSP Rules During the Midwest Organic Conference • January 23, 2004:Congress Restores Full CSP Funding; Farmers Call For Revisions • January 16, 2004: New Conservation Security Program Could Help Southeast Minnesota Farms & Land • December 17, 2003: Bush Administration Releases Draft Rules For Conservation Security Program, Abandoning its Stall Tactics. Statement by Mark Schultz, Land Stewardship • December 2, 2003: Farmers Call on USDA to Issue Conservation Security Program Rules Immediately • April 3, 2003: Land Stewardship Project's Comments to USDA/NRCS on Proposed Rulemaking for CSP • March 12, 2003: Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Final Comments to USDA/NRCS on Proposed Rulemaking for CSP • March 4, 2003: Proposed Rulemaking for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) • February 4, 2003: Bush Ag budget slashes key conservation programs--Maintains budget-busting subsidies for commodity production • September 17, 2002: Farmer Fact Sheets on Conservation Security Program Now Available • June 28, 2002: U.S. House attempting to Eliminate a national Conservation Security Program • March 18, 2002: LSP Proposes New Forage Acreage Base for Federal Farm Program top
Conservation Stewardship Program Commentaries • October 2, 2009: "Stewardship program a step forward" is a commentary on CSP that appeared in The Land. It was authored by the members of LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. •September 19, 2009: "Your turn: Program targets conservation" is a commentary on the Conservation Stewardship Program that appeared in the St. Cloud Times. It was written by the Land Stewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee. • March 27, 2007: "Statement of Karen Stettler, Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings® Director, for the Credit Hearing of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture" outlines how Congress can help beginning farmers in the 2007 Farm Bill. • July 22, 2006: "Statement of Paul Sobocinski to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture" outlines the Land Stewardship Project's priorities for the 2007 Farm Bill, including increased support for CSP. • November 3, 2005: "Conservation efforts can't fall by the wayside now" is a commentary by LSP staff member Caroline van Schaik describing why CSP is needed now more than ever. • October 5, 2005: "Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Statement on Chambliss Budget Reconciliation Package" calls for an even-handed approach to cutting the federal agriculture budget. • March 8, 2005: "A Proposal for Farm Program Payment Limitation Reform" is a white paper drafted by the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. It provides an analysis of the Rural America Preservation Act of 2005, which has been proposed in the U.S. Senate. • March 7, 2005: "Prosperous Farms & a Healthy Land: Reforming U.S. Farm Policy" is a summary of Land Stewardship Project policy priorities for the 2006 federal farm bill. This summary was developed for a sustainable farm policy fly-in to Washington, D.C., that LSP coordinated in March • March 3, 2005: "Making a point about Bush's budget cuts" is a letter to the editor published in Agri News. It was written by farmer Dave Serfling, a member of LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. • October 5, 2004: "Comments and Recommendations Regarding the Interim Rule for the Conservation Security Program" is a letter written to the USDA by Land Stewardship Project Policy Program Director Mark Schultz • April 26, 2004: "CSP: The People Have Spoken/Now will the government listen?" is a commentary written by Land Stewardship Project Policy Program Director Mark Schultz. • March 7, 2004: "Rural conservation/Why exclude so many farmers?" is an editorial that ran in the Star Tribune (Minnesota) newspaper. It calls on the government to revise the Conservation Security Program rules in a way that reflects public comment, and to issue the new rules as soon as possible. • February 26, 2004: "CSP Statement of Dan French" is testimony given by French at a USDA Conservation Security Program listening session. French is a Minnesota dairy farmer and a member of the Land Stewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee. • January 7, 2004: "Rural stewards/A federal plan with potential" is an editorial that ran in the Star Tribune (Minnesota) newspaper. It praises the release of the Conservation Security Program's proposed rules, but calls on the government to make sure the program lives up to its potential. • October 7, 2003: "CSP: The Best Disaster Insurance Tax Money Can Buy" is a commentary co-written by farmer Dan Specht, a member of the LandStewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee, and Kevin Brussell, a farmer and member of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Board of Directors. • February 28, 2003: "A Tale of Two Farms" is a commentary written by farmer Dave Serfling, a member of the Land Stewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee • February 14, 2003: "Do the Math--Proposed EQIP Rule Change a Factory Farm Handout" is a commentary written by Jeff Klinge, an Iowa farmer and member of the Land Stewardship Project Federal Farm Policy Committee. • May 10, 2002: Farm Bill - LSP makes a difference at the national level, by Mark Schultz • Nov. 18, 2001: The slow poison of farm subsidies, by the Des Moines Register Editorial Board • Sept. 27, 2001: Intensive corn-soybean agriculture is not sustainable, by Gyles Randall • July 31, 2001: Testimony for the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing on Conservation on Working Lands, by Dave Serfling • March 1, 2001: Oral Testimony Given to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee, by Dan Specht
"CSP rewards conservation on working lands" and "June 11 is end of next CSP ranking period" are articles that appeared in the May 27, 2010, edition of Agri News. They feature farmer Tom Nuessmeier, who is a member of LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. "Organic producers share CSP plans" appeared in the April 1, 2010, edition of Agri News. It features LSP Federal Farm Policy Committee members Tom Nuessmeier and Jeff Klinge talking about their experiences with CSP. "Gorman excited about options in new CSP program" appeared in the Aug. 20, 2009, edition of Agri News. It features LSP Federal Farm Policy Committee member Bill Gorman. "Revamped program pays farmers for conservation work" appeared in the Aug. 18, 2009, edition of The County Today. It features LSP Federal Farm Policy Committee member Matt Urch. "Conservation Security Program should be fully funded" is an article by outdoor journalist Babe Winkelman that appeared in the Jan. 11, 2007, edition of the Walker (Minn.) Pilot-Independent. It describes efforts by Bill Gorman and other others to get full support for the Conservation Security Program in the next Farm Bill. Gorman is a member of the Land Stewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee. "When Ag Policy Goes Good" is a special Land Stewardship Project report on how CSP is working on various Midwestern farms. It appeared in the July/August/September 2005 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. "Green farming faces budget ax" is an article published in the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 6, 2005. It outlines how some members of Congress are trying to gut conservation programs like the Conservation Security Program, and describes how LSP members are implementing sustainable farming practices. "Going Green in Agriculture" is a series of stories first broadcast on National Public Radio in July 2005. They feature Land Stewardship Project members Tex Hawkins and Dave Serfling, as well as the work of the Multiple Benefits of Agriculture initiative and LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4735566 "Farmer/Educator Survey: Govt. Policy Major Barrier to Adopting Sustainable Ag Techniques" is a Oct. 17, 2003, Land Stewardship Project press release describing the results of a survey of farmers, lenders and educators. The survey showed current federal farm policy to be a critical reason some farms are not successfully adopting sustainable "Getting behind CSP & pushing" was published in the October/November 2003 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. It describes what needs to be done to make sure the Conservation Security Program gets implemented in such a way that it's useful to farmers and good for the land. "Farm bill a plus for both environment, farmers, experts say" was published by the Purdue University News Service on June 5, 2002. It describes the reactions of two agricultural economists to the Conservation Security Program. The article also provides a summary of how the program is supposed to work once implemented. "Beat the (Farm Bill) devil" is an article that appeared in the May/June 2002 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. Written by LSP staffer Caroline van Schaik, it describes efforts to implement the Conservation Security Program. "Agriculture's Untapped Potential-A special report on the Multiple Benefits of Agriculture study" appeared in the September/October 2001 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. It describes a study's findings that farm policy is needed that recognizes and rewards the multiple benefits agriculture can provide. "LSP Applauds Passage of Conservation Security Act by Senate Ag Committee; But rest of farm bill package is a mixed bag" appeared in the September/October 2001 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. It describes the plusses and minuses of the new Farm Bill. "Innovative conservation farm policy is introduced in Congress" appeared in the November 2000 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. It describes how the Conservation Security Program was launched in Congress. "Freedom to Farm…as a Good Steward" is a July/August 2000 Land Stewardship Letter article that describes the need for innovative farm policy. "New Plow. Same Crop. Crazy Policy" appeared in the April/May/June 2000 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. It described how farm policy punishes stewardship farmers and encourages an economically unsustainable system. Conservation Stewardship Program Links & Resources • The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has a web page with fact sheets and other resources devoted to CSP. • Farmers' Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program is a user-friendly how-to manual on how farmers can participate in the revamped (2008) CSP. Developed by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the guide provides an overview of the enrollment process and describes how the 2008 edition of CSP is different from the old one. It also helps applicants determine if their farm qualifies and describes what type of documentation is required. • The ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service CSP web page includes links to a self–screening checklist and other background information. Producers are also invited to call the ATTRA toll free hot–line number at 1–800–346–9140 (English) and 1–800–411–3222 (Spanish) for additional help or further information. • The Organic Farming Research Foundation website has a set of frequently asked questions about CSP, specific to organic producers. • "Conservation Security Program Drives Resource Management: An Assessment of CSP Implementation in Five Midwestern States" is a report issued in April 2007 by the Minnesota Project, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Land Stewardship Project, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Missouri Rural Crisis Center and Practical Farmers of Iowa. It finds, among other things, that farmers enrolled in the Conservation Security Program are taking advantage of the program's incentives by adding new practices to their farms that protect natural resources. The report concludes that even with funding limitations, CSP is still popular and there is overwhelming support to see it grow in the 2007 Farm Bill. A pdf version of the 38-page report is available by clicking here. • In Nov. 2004, the USDA announced the 202 watersheds across the U.S. that are targeted for Conservation Security Program implementation in 2005. A complete list of watersheds and a map are at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp. • The interim final rule for the Conservation Security Program was posted in the Federal Register on June 21, 2004. Go to http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/pdf/CSPIntFinRul.pdf to download the interim final rule as a pdf document. • The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has a Web page with fact sheets and other resources devoted to the Conservation Security Program. • The Center for Rural Affairs has opened a "Hotline" to connect farmers and ranchers practicing effective conservation to the Conservation Security Program . The Hotline's number is 402-687-2100 and will be open once the CSP sign-up begins on July 6. The Hotline is designed to assist farmers and ranchers with questions regarding how to apply and program eligibility. Eligibility questions will center around the self-assessment that farmers and ranchers will need to complete when applying to the program. More information is available at http://www.cfra.org. • The proposed rules for the Conservation Security Program were posted on the Federal Register on Jan. 2, 2004. Go to http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/03-31916.pdf to download the rules as a pdf document. • NRCS National and State Resource Concerns • "Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: Conservation Security Program" by Mike Duffy. Duffy, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, has written a fact sheet summarizing the Conservation Security Program. • "Farm Bill 2002-Summary of NRCS Conservation Programs." This is the USDA's summary of the Conservation Security Program, as well as other conservation programs contained in the 2002 Farm Bill. • The Minnesota Project's Web site contains fact sheets, press releases and other information related to the Conservation Security Program. • The Multiple Benefits of Agriculture Project has estimated and compared the benefits of various kinds of agriculture operations in two watersheds in Minnesota. This research is being used to develop agriculture policy options that reward farmers for producing public benefits such as enhanced soil and water quality, improved wildlife habitat, healthful food and stronger rural economies. • The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of a sustainable food and agriculture system that is economically viable, environmentally sound, socially just, and humane. Its web site features farm policy news, action alerts and press releases. For more information on CSP, contact the Land Stewardship Project's Policy Program at 612-722-6377. Either Mark Schultz or Adam Warthesen can help you. LSP would also like to hear how CSP is working for farmers, once it is up and running. The Land Stewardship Project has developed a sample letter for commenting on the USDA's proposed Conservation Security Program rules. This letter can serve as a handy tool for people who want to send comments on the proposed CSP rules to David McKay, the official in charge of the rules at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The sample letter was developed by farmer-members of LSP's Federal Farm Policy committee. If you agree with the comments made, please add your name to the bottom of the letter, copy and paste it into an e-mail, and e-mail it to McKay. There is space at the end of the letter for additional comments as well. Or you may want to take the opportunity to write your own comment letter. Just be sure to get your comments in by March 2nd. • You can view a sample letter here. • E-mail a letter to David McKay, david.mckay@usda.gov. Please copy and paste either the sample comment letter or your own letter into your e-mail program.
Updates on the Conservation Security program can also be found in the Land Stewardship Letter. |
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