Conservation Stewardship Program

Updated 01/13/2011

Introduction

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by:

• Improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities; and
• Undertaking additional conservation activities.

Conservation Stewardship Fact Sheet (June 2010)

Program Description

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 where resource concerns related to agricultural production can be addressed. Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, improved pastureland, pastured cropland, or nonindustrial private forest land, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe. CSP provides financial and technical assistance to eligible producers to address natural resource concerns on their lands.

Resource Concerns

• Air Quality
• Animals
• Energy
• Plants
• Soil Erosion
• Soil Quality
• Water Quality
• Water Quanity

The State Conservationist, in consultation with the State Technical Committee and local work groups, will focus program impacts on natural resources that are of specific concern for a State, or the specific geographic areas within a State. Applications will be evaluated relative to other applications addressing similar priority resource concerns to facilitate a competitive ranking process among applicants within a State who face similar resource challenges.

Maryland Priority Resource Concerns

• Air Quality
• Soil Erosion
• Soil Quality
• Water Quality
• Water Quantity

Geographic Area

The program and priority resource concerns are applicable statewide. (map)

Basic Eligibility Requirements

The applicant’s entire operation (operated substantially separate from other operations-determined by equipment, labor, management, and production or cultivation practices) must be enrolled. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Be the operator of record in the USDA farm records management system for the land being offered for enrollment.
2. Have effective control of the land for the 5 year term of the CSP contract. Effective control is defined to mean the possession of the land by ownership, written lease, or other legal agreement and authority to act as decisionmaker for the day-to-day management of the operation both at the time the applicant enters into a Stewardship Contract and for the 5 year period of the contract. Applicants will self-certify control at the time of application and all contract participants will be subject to an annual random verification process to confirm they have control for the required contract period.
3. Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions of USDA.
4. Include all eligible land in their entire agricultural or forestry operation.

CSP Payment Structure

CSP pays participants for conservation performance-the higher the performance, the higher the payment. CSP provides participants two possible types of payments:

1. An annual payment for conservation activities. The annual payment is split between one payment rate for existing activities and a higher payment rate for additional activities. Participants must install at least one additional activity on a land use to earn annual payments.
2. A supplemental payment for the adoption of a resource-conserving crop rotation.

The Payment for Performance (August 2009) (PDF, 29KB) fact sheet has further information about how CSP Annual Payments are calculated and what the 2011 rates are by land use. You can find additional information about how CSP payments are determined on the National NRCS CSP web page.

How To Apply

Review the Conservation Stewardship Self-Screening Checklist and the Conservation Program Activity List. If you think CSP is right for you, fill out the the Conservation Stewardship Program Application, and turn it in to your local NRCS office.

If you have questions regarding the CSP, please contact your local NRCS office.

The documents below require Adobe Acrobat Reader:

2011 Conservation Stewardship Self-Screening Checklist (May 2010) (PDF, 98KB)
2011 Conservation Stewardship Program Activity List (December 2010) (PDF, 98KB)
2011 Conservation Stewardship Program Application (November 2010) (PDF, 42KB)

Below are links to documents which describe in greater detail the individual enhancement activities and their required criteria.

An "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.

A "Bundle" is a group of specific enhancements which when installed as a group, addresses resource concerns synergistically.

Air Quality
Animal
Energy
Plant
Soil Erosion
Soil Quality
Water Quality
Water Quantity
Special Projects
Bundles
Resource Conserving Crop Rotations

Additional Information

NRCS National Conservation Stewardship Program Information: Visit the National NRCS Web site for more information about the Conservation Stewardship Program across the Nation.

Contact

Ed Burns
Farm Bill Program Specialist (CSP, WHIP, Energy and Easements)
Phone: 443.482.2925
Email: edward.burns@md.usda.gov

Tom Morgart
Assistant State Conservationist - Programs
Phone: (443) 482-2927
Email: thomas.morgart@md.usda.gov

or your local service center