The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications to its Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for funding in Fiscal Year 2023 using funds provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Applications will be accepted until March 24, 2023 and are available at your local USDA Service Center or online on our Get Started with NRCS web page. Due to this, CSP Classic applications batching period will also be extended from February 24, 2023, to March 24, 2023, so both signups finalize at the same time. All applications received after this date will be considered for a future funding cycle.
CSP-IRA applications must include at least one core Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) conservation practice or activity that directly improves soil carbon, reduces nitrogen losses, or reduces, captures, avoids or sequesters carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous emissions associated with agricultural productions. Facilitating practices or activities that are needed to implement the core practice may also be included.
Florida NRCS' CSP-IRA focus for FY23 will include, but is not limited to:
• Improving energy efficiency of stationary equipment and facilities on agriculture operations to reduce energy use.
• Increasing total carbon stored in soils and/or perennial biomass to reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and enhance carbon sequestration.
Additionally, farm records must be established or updated with the Farm Service Agency for both the person(s) and the land for your application to be eligible and evaluated. Farm records for the person must indicate the applicant:
• Controls or owns eligible land
• Is in compliance with highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements
• Meets adjusted gross income (AGI) and payment limitation provisions
“If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, chances are, CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals,” said Juan C. Hernandez, State Conservationist for NRCS in Florida. “CSP offers annual payments for implementing conservation practices on your land and operating and maintaining existing conservation efforts.”
The CSP is for working lands and is the largest conservation program in the U.S. Thousands of people voluntarily enroll in the program, because it helps them enhance natural resources and improve their business operation. The program represents a genuine commitment to conservation – CSP contracts are for five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if the landowner successfully fulfills the initial contract and agrees to achieve additional conservation objectives.
Once an application has been filed and determined to be eligible for CSP, the local NRCS conservation planner will have a one-on-one consultation with the applicant to evaluate the concerns for the land or natural resource conditions. An NRCS conservation planner will present conservation practices or enhancements to improve and protect these natural resources and will work closely with the landowner throughout the entire contract process. Contract payments are based on two components:
• Payments to maintain the existing level of conservation, based on the land uses included in the contract and an NRCS assessment of existing stewardship at the time of enrollment
• Payments to implement additional conservation activities
More on NRCS
NRCS has 34 field offices throughout Florida with teams ready to help landowners with conservation programs. Contact your local NRCS field office for more information. Download an CSP application form.
More on IRA
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), provisions of which are designed to help agricultural producers continue to farm and to promote climate-smart agriculture by increasing farmers’ access to conservation services, was signed into law on August 16, 2022.
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