Conservation Security Program – Sulfur Watershed

 Farmers and ranchers who have historically practiced good stewardship on their agricultural lands may be eligible for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) offered by NRCS.  Producers whose land is in the drainage area of the Sabine or Sulphur Rivers can be considered for CSP.  Signup for the program will begin shortly.

CSP identifies and financially rewards producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation on their operations.

NRCS will hold several informational meetings on CSP, the first of these being on March 10, 2005, at 6:30 pm in the Agricultural Sciences Building on the Texas A&M-Commerce campus.  Producers are encouraged to attend one of these meetings to learn about the program and if they meet the necessary eligibility requirements.

Other meetings will be held in:

Ladonia on March 22 at 7:00 pm at FanninDel High School;

Royse City on March 24 at 9:30am at the First Baptist Church;

March 30 at 1:30pm at the Sabine River Authority Iron Bridge Headquarters 6 miles south of Point.

CSP is a very competitive program.  Producers compete nationally for funding against the nations best conservationists.  Documentation of conservation activities, such as conservation plans and records of nutrient, pest, and grazing management will be required to support the application.

To apply for CSP, a producer will access a CSP Self-Assessment Workbook either online or by picking up a hard at the USDA Service Center or informational meeting.  Using the Workbook they will determine if they meet basic eligibility requirements and document their stewardship work.

The completed workbook will be submitted to NRCS along with an application during the soon to be announced sign-up period.  Producers will then meet with NRCS to go over any additional documentation.  NRCS will determine an enrollment category for which the producer qualifies.  Finally, NRCS selects the categories to be funded for CSP contracts. For questions, call the NRCS office at 903-583-9513 x3.