  |
 |
 |
 |
Pennsylvania Home
About Us
News
Programs
Technical Resources
Partnerships
Contact Us |
   |
|
|
* If you encounter any problems with the files on this page, please |
|
|
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.
CSP is available in
Pennsylvania on private agricultural lands and non-industrial forest land. The
program provides equitable access to all producers, regardless of operation
size, crops produced, or geographic location.
Through CSP, NRCS will provide financial and technical assistance to eligible
producers to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural
resources on their land. Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, improved
pastureland, nonindustrial private forest lands, and other private agricultural
land (including cropped woodland, marshes, and agricultural land used for the
production of livestock) on which resource concerns related to agricultural
production could be addressed. Participation in the program is voluntary.
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. CSP is available nationwide on a continuous application basis.
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 Pennsylvania, or specific geographic areas within the
State. Click here to view the map. Applications will be evaluated relative to other applications addressing
similar priority resource concerns to facilitate a competitive ranking process
among applicants who face similar resource challenges. Because of acreage and
funding limits, not all applicants may be offered a contract.
The entire agricultural operation must be enrolled and must include all
agricultural land that will be under the applicant's control for the five-year
term of the proposed contract.
CSP offers participants two possible types of payments:
2010 CSP Priority
Resource Concerns
(PDF, 11KB)
**REMAINS UNCHANGED for 2011!
2010 Conservation Stewardship Self-Screening Checklist (PDF,
89KB)
**REMAINS UNCHANGED for
2011!
Conservation farmers and forest managers need to submitted an application. CSP has a continuous open application policy; applications received after the cutoff date will be considered in the subsequent next ranking cycle. People interested in being considered for CSP are encouraged to apply now at your local NRCS office.
|
The following is a list of the FORMS need to signup for CSP. CSP sign-up application is available online at USDA Service Center Agencies eForms or at a local USDA Service Center. FORMS:
|
As part of the CSP application process, you'll work with your local NRCS field personnel to complete your resource inventory using a Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT). The CMT determines the conservation performance for existing and additional conservation activities.
The CMT documents will be Coming Soon!NRCS will use the CMT to evaluate CSP applications through a point-based system to estimate environmental benefits. The CMT evaluates existing and proposed new activities to calculate conservation performance points which will be used for ranking and payment purposes.
Conservation performance points are programmed in the CMT, along with all controls, filters, and calculations. A scientific validation of CMT is underway and future modifications to these points may be needed.
The CMT documents will be Coming Soon!
The 2008 Farm Bill recognized the growing interest and support of organic agriculture across the country and required the development of a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification while participating in a CSP contract. "The Conservation Stewardship Program’s Contribution to Organic Transitioning - The Organic Crosswalk", provides an explanation of how CSP enhancements can be used to assist producers in meeting individual National Organic Program (NOP) rules while going through the transitioning period.
|
The document below requires
Adobe
Acrobat Reader: |
|
Please keep checking back for new information to be
posted! |
"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.
2011 Ranking Period One Job Sheets
For 2010 Signup 1 and 2 Job Sheets visit the NRCS National CSP site.
2010 Pennsylvania's Resource Conserving Crops
for CSP
**REMAINS UNCHANGED for
2011!
2011 Pennsylvania on Farm Research
Demonstration
2011 Pennsylvania on Farm Pilot Project
2010
Total Results - Number of Contracts, Acres Treated and Dollars Obligated
2010
Ranking Period One Results
Capital Area
401 East Louther Street, Suite 307
Carlisle, PA. 17013
Phone: (717) 241-4361
Web:
www.capitalrcd.orgg
Capital Area services
the following counties: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York
counties.
Headwaters Katrina Thompson
Barry Frantz
478 Jeffers Street
Building 3, Suite D
DuBois, PA 15801
Phone: 814-375-1372 (ext. 4)
Web:
http://headwaterspa.org
Headwaters services the following counties: Centre, Clinton, Cameron, Clearfield, Jefferson, Elk, Potter and McKean Counties.
Visit the Headwaters Resource Conservation
and Development (RC&D) website devoted to the NRCS Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) outreach. Click on the link to learn more
www.stewardshippa.org.
Program Contact
Program Manager
(717) 237-2260
Assistant State Conservationist
(717) 237-2216
|
|
