Sign Up Begins For Conservation Security Program

COLUMBIA, MO, July 6, 2004 – Farmers and ranchers with a majority of their land in the Little River Ditches Watershed in southeastern Missouri and northern Arkansas can sign up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) July 6-30.

CSP rewards leading-edge crop and livestock producers who already have applied conservation measures on their land. It is available during this inaugural sign up in 18 designated watersheds in the United States. The Little River Ditches watershed is the only eligible watershed in Missouri. The watershed is located in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Pemiscot, Dunklin and New Madrid counties in Missouri and in Craighead, Mississippi and Poinsett counties in Arkansas.

Other watersheds will be selected each year, until farmers and ranchers in every watershed have had a chance to participate. Every agricultural operation is in a watershed. People can act now to make their operations more competitive for later sign ups by developing or reviewing conservation plans and implementing the appropriate conservation measures.

Nationally, the fiscal year 2004 CSP budget of $41.4 million will allow NRCS to write 3,000 to 5,000 contracts ranging from five to 10 years. Farmers and ranchers in the Little River Ditches Watershed who are interested in the program must complete self-assessment workbooks to apply for enrollment. Workbooks and other information about CSP are available at USDA service centers or online at  http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CSP/csp.html.