Kalee Olson, policy associate, kaleeo@cfra.org, 402.687.2100 ext. 1022; Teresa Hoffman, senior communications associate, teresah@cfra.org, 402.687.2100 ext. 1012
NEVADA, IOWA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Iowa is seeking renewal applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The deadline to apply is April 15.
A working lands conservation program, CSP provides financial and technical assistance to producers to address natural resource concerns on their operations while maintaining agricultural production. The program requires applicants to demonstrate previous implementation of practices, such as cover crops or no-till, and a willingness to adopt additional practices, called enhancements, across the entire farm.
CSP contracts last five years. To apply during this renewal period, applicants must be in a current contract set to expire on Dec. 31.
“Renewal contracts give CSP users the opportunity to build on the momentum of their first five years in the program and implement even more practices that are good for soil health, water quality, and carbon sequestration,” said Kalee Olson, policy associate for the Center for Rural Affairs.
According to data from Iowa’s NRCS office, 505 CSP contracts will expire at the end of 2022. These contracts are helping to address natural resource concerns on approximately 250,800 acres of land.
Farmers interested in applying for a renewal contract are encouraged to contact their local NRCS office as soon as possible. A list of local offices can be found at offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
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