Renewal Options for Expiring Conservation Stewardship

The Department of Agriculture has announced a contract renewal sign-up is underway for the Conservation Stewardship Program, USDA’s largest working lands conservation program with more than 80 million acres enrolled. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service made several updates to the program last fall.

USDA says those changes help producers better evaluate conservation options that benefit their operations while improving the health and productivity of lands. Participants with existing contracts that will expire this year can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their contracts for an additional five years. Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by May 5th.

Through CSP, landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, buffer strips, pollinator and beneficial insect habitat, and soil health building activities – all while maintaining active agricultural production on their land. Producers interested in contract renewals or applying for CSP for the first time should contact their local USDA service center to learn more.

Source:  NAFB News