Conservation Security Program (CSP) 2008 Program Description

The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a tremendous opportunity for California farmers who have been practicing good soil and water conservation on their farmland. The purpose of CSP is to reward the best conservation farmers and motivate others to become good stewards of the land.

CSP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands. Working lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land that is an incidental part of an agriculture operation. The program provides equitable access to benefits to all producers, regardless of size of operation, crops produced, or geographic location.

CSP offers payments, for five to ten year contracts, which are calculated from a base payment, plus various additional payments depending on existing and new conservation practices and enhancements, based on a "Tier" or level of conservation.

• Tier I - Water quality and soil quality protected on part of the operation
• Tier II - Water quality and soil quality protected on the entire operation; agree to address one other resource concern.  To qualify for Tier II, producers must meet the water-use efficiency criteria for all land uses (and also irrigated and non-irrigated croplands).
• Tier III - All resources protected on the entire operation and agree to additional activities

At a minimum, farms will need to have soil erosion and water quality practices in place, including nutrient and pest management.

Based on the application, description of conservation activities, and a follow-up interview, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) determines which program tier and enrollment category the applicant may participate.

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