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Conservation Security Program2008

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Conservation Security Program

A voluntary A voluntary conservation program conservation program rewarding those rewarding those farmers and ranchers farmers and ranchers who are meeting the who are meeting the highest standards of highest standards of conservation on their conservation on their operations.operations.

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Conservation Security Program

• Provides financial assistance to promote conservation on cropland, grassland, improved pasture, rangeland.

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Conservation Security Program

• 2008 Watershed

• Little Lost(HUC 17040217)

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Watershed Eligibility• A majority of the operation must be

within a selected watershed.

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Changes to CSP

• There have been some significant changes to CSP for the 2008 Sign-up

• These changes are within the authority of NRCS to make through the “Sign-up” notice process in the Federal Register

• These changes are National in scope, not just in Idaho

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Major Changes

• Both benchmark and new enhancements will be available at a uniform payment rate over the contract length rather than declining rates for benchmark practices

• Questions?

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• CSP in 2008 will not offer new practice payments – participants may wish to look at the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for new practice cost share opportunities

• Questions?

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• Contract improvement modification opportunities will not be offered to CSP 2008 participants

• This means that there will be no opportunities to add enhancements or to change Tiers

• Questions?

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• Category placement priority will be given to applicants requesting 5 year contracts for both Tier 2 and Tier 3 applications

• You may request Tier 2 and 3 contracts for 5 to 10 years in length but contracts longer than 5 years will receive a lower priority for consideration.

• Questions?

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• All information provided by the applicant to NRCS will be field verified and checked prior to making an initial contract payment.

• If false, inaccurate or different information is found, it may result in a modification or termination of the contract.

• Questions?

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• NRCS will substantiate control of the offered land and ag operation delineation for all applicants.

• Control and delineation must be consistent across all USDA programs.

• Questions?

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Applicant Eligibility• An applicant must share in the

risk of producing any crop or livestock.

• Meet Soil and Water Eligibility

• Applicant has control of land for life of contract (includes leased land with written agreement)

• Be in compliance with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)– (Contact FSA)

• Compliant with HEL/wetland provisions (Contact FSA)

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Basic Eligibility

• Meeting water and soil quality:– Nutrient management based on soil tests– Pest management– Livestock and Forage Inventory– Grazing Plan– Feed and Forage Balance– Irrigation water management– Residue management– Erosion and sediment

control

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Basic Eligibility• Keep written records to document ongoing

conservation activities – (At least two years of records are needed for

eligibility.)

• Consider wildlife, energy or other resource enhancements.

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Producer Eligibility• Cash Rent

– Owners who cash rent are not eligible to be an applicant because they do not share in the risk of producing a crop.

– Renters are eligible to be an applicant.

• Crop Share Rent– Owners are eligible to be an applicant– Renters are eligible to be an applicant

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Eligible Land

• Cropland– Close grown crops, permanent hayland,

orchards, forage in rotation, horticultural crops and vineyards.

• Pastureland– Improved pasture and silvopasture (normally

includes introduced grasses)

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Eligible Land

• Rangeland– Land not suitable for cropping that consists of

primarily native vegetation that is grazed by livestock.

• Other Land – Production Areas: Areas for production

related activities are eligible for enhancement activity payments only.

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Eligible Land

• Incidental Forestland– Forest land that is adjacent to other eligible

land that is 10 acres or less.– Should be included in the adjoining land use.– Can not comprise more than 10 percent of the

contracted acres.

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Ineligible Land

• Forest land that is used primarily for the production of timber and that is greater than 10 acres.

• Land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.

• Public Lands• Idled lands: Blocks of land that are not farmed,

grazed, mowed or harvested for crops, forages or agricultural products.

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AG OPERATION DELINEATION

APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITY

The applicant will delineate their agricultural operation on a map as an initial step in the application process.

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AG OPERATION DELINEATION

APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITY

The applicant’s agricultural operation must include all land they control for the proposed contract period, whether contiguous or non-contiguous .

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AG OPERATION DELINEATION

NRCS RESPONSIBILITY

Substantiate all applicants’:

• Control of land for the proposed contract period

• Agricultural operation delineation

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AG OPERATION DELINEATION

DEFINITION - AGRICULTURAL OPERATION [CPM 518.60 A(2)]

• All agricultural land, incidental parcels, other lands, and ineligible land, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, under the control of the applicant, and constituting a cohesive management unit that is operated with equipment, labor, accounting system, and management that are substantially separate from any other. The minimum size of an agricultural operation is a field.

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Eligible applicant(individual or entity) will

evaluate all associated land

Do you own? Do you operate? PART OF AG OP

Do you operate?

DO YOU HAVE CONTROL FOR PROPOSED CONTRACT LIFE?•Do you make decisions for the day-to-day management and operation of the land?

DO YOU HAVE CONTROL FOR PROPOSED CONTRACT LIFE?•Do you have possession of the land by lease or agreement?•Do you make decisions for the day-to-day management and operation of the land?

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES YES

YES

YESYES

NOTPART OF

AG OP

NOTPART OF

AG OP

NOTPART OF

AG OP

PART OF AG OP

PART OF AG OP

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Tier Structure

• Tier I: water & soil quality on part of operation• Tier II: water & soil quality on entire operation (&

agree to address wildlife concerns)• Tier III: all resources on entire operation (agree to

additional activities)

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CSP Payments

1) Annual base stewardship payment for existing conservation treatment

2) Annual payment for maintaining existing practices

3) Enhancement activity payment for exceptional conservation effort

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CSP Payments

Enhancements

Stewardship & Existing Practices

Tier 3

Tier 1

5 year contracts

Tier 2

5-10 years

5-10 years

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CSP Payment Limitations

• Stewardship Payment Limitations– Tier 1 $5,000/year– Tier 2 $10,500/year– Tier 3 $13,500/year

• Enhancement Payment Limitation– Tier 1 $13,750/Year– Tier 2 $21,875/Year– Tier 3 $28,125/Year

• Contract Limitations– Tier 1 $20,000/year– Tier 2 $35,000/year– Tier 3 $45,000/year

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Enhancements

• Make up the majority of CSP payments

• A list to choose from, some of which you may already be applying

• Enhancement activities include:

– Wildlife habitat - Grazing management

– Pest management - Nutrient management

– Energy management - Irrigation water management -Soil Quality

Payments for adding resource benefits beyond the prescribed levelPayments for adding resource benefits beyond the prescribed level

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Eligibility & Application Tools

• Idaho CSP “Basic Eligibility Checklist” Factsheet

• Self-Assessment Workbook

• Idaho CSP Conservation Recordbook (all the resource information sheets to fill out a conservation plan)

• NRCS Idaho website: www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/index.html

• These are also available at your local NRCS office in Arco

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Applicant To-Do List

• Go to FSA:– Verify HELC– Verify AGI status– All participants in the contract must be eligible (this

includes all members of an entity, corporation, LLC or LLP … anyone with potential to receive funds).

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Applicant To-Do List

• When the official CSP sign-up begins, schedule a verification interview with your local NRCS office. Bring:– Completed CSP Self-Assessment Workbook– Completed CSP Records Book (or equivalent)– Two years of records and documentation

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Applicant To-Do List

• Two years of records for:– Nutrient/fertilizer management– Pest management– Pasture management– Grazing/range

management– Animal waste

utilization

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Applicant To-Do List• Compile all records & documentation:

– Demonstration of control of all land for the entire length of the contract

– Detailed and accurate maps of operation– Soil test records for each field – at least one test per

field in the past five years

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• Sign-up dates:

April 18th Through May 16th

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Self-Assessment Workshops

The following workshops have been scheduled to assist you in working through your self assessments:

•April 16th – Howe Community center

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).