NRCS Announces Application Period for 2008 Conservation Security Program in Gunpowder – Patapsco Watershed

Maryland Media Liaison:

Carol Hollingsworth, 443-482-2902

Applications will be accepted beginning April 18, 2008 through May 16, 2008

(Annapolis, MD), April 7, 2008 — USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Jon Hall announced that the application period for the 2008 Conservation Security Program (CSP) will be held from April 18, 2008 to May 30, 2008. In Maryland, there is one watershed eligible to participate in CSP this year – the Gunpowder – Patapsco Watershed which covers most of Baltimore County, about one-half of Carroll and Harford Counties, and a small portion of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties. A small portion of the watershed also extends into York County, Pennsylvania.

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. Maryland farmers already enrolled in the 2005 and 2006 CSP have received CSP payments to date of more than $23.2 million in conservation funds. During both years, Maryland ranked in the top 25 percent of states nationwide in CSP funding. Maryland’s CSP funds were used to reward 605 farmers for their conservation work on over 191,800 acres.

“NRCS is contacting approximately 1600 agricultural landowners and operators who farm within the Gunpowder – Patapsco Watershed,” said Hall. “About 50 percent of the watershed’s land is in cropland, pasture or hayland. These potentially eligible landowners should receive a mailing this week that includes information about CSP, the public meetings, a documentation checklist, a watershed map, and contact information for their local NRCS office.”

"This is a great opportunity for our farmers and I encourage farmers in the Gunpowder-Patapsco watershed to apply," said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson. "Our farmers are proven conservation leaders and we’re proud of their progressive efforts to create a sustainable future for Maryland’s agricultural and natural resources. In previous years, more than 50 percent of Maryland farmers in targeted watersheds have achieved the highest assistance rate available from the Conservation Security Program. In addition, more farms in Maryland qualified for the CSP in their first year of eligibility than any other state in the Northeast."

Persons interested in applying for CSP should attend a 60 minute information meeting to determine eligibility. You can attend any information meeting to learn more about CSP. Information meetings will be held:

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 7 pm
Carroll County Agriculture Center
706 Agriculture Center Drive, Westminster

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 7 pm
Oregon Ridge Nature Center & Park
13555 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville

Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7 pm
Level Fire Hall
3633 Level Road, Havre de Grace

Farmers within this watershed are being recognized for their outstanding land stewardship and are being offered a unique opportunity to participate in USDA’s Conservation Security Program (CSP). Now is the time for farmers and land operators within the eligible watershed to begin preparing for CSP by reviewing and gathering their farm records. This includes:

• Obtaining maps of their entire ag operation
• Making sure their records are updated at the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
• Collecting two years of written records that cover nutrient management, pest management, grazing management, irrigation management, and animal waste utilization management.

Farmers can begin the application process for CSP by filling out a self-assessment workbook to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for CSP. Self-assessment workbooks are available in paper copy at USDA Service Centers located within the watersheds, at the public information meetings, and online at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov. After completing the self-assessment workbook, farmers should contact their local NRCS office to schedule an appointment to discuss their application.

Through CSP, NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on private working lands. Working lands include cropland, hayland, improved pasture, as well as forested land that is an incidental part of an agriculture operation. When enrolled in CSP, farmers will also have opportunities to improve wildlife habitat, undertake on-farm energy conservation and improve nutrient and pest management activities.

Additional information about CSP is available from your local USDA Service Center listed below or at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov.

NRCS in Anne Arundel County 410-571-6757 x.3
NRCS in Baltimore County 410-666-1188 x.3
NRCS in Carroll County 410-848-6696 x.3
NRCS in Harford County 410-838-6181 x.3
NRCS in Howard County 410-489-7987 x.3
NRCS in York County, Pennsylvania 717-755-2966 x.3