Conservation Security Program

WHAT IS THE CSP?

    The Conservation Security Program was established under the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA).  The Act amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the program.  The Conservation Security Program is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  The Conservation Security Program is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands by providing payments and technical assistance for maintaining and enhancing natural resources.  The Conservation Security Program provides not only financial, but technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes.  The CSP can be used on Tribal and private working lands.  All 50 states, the Caribbean area, and the Pacific Basin area have all incorporated the CSP.  The program provides equitable access to benefit all producers, regardless of size of operation, crops produced, or geographic location.  The Conservation Security Program helps producers maintain conservation stewardship and implement additional conservation practices that provide added environmental enhancement, while creating powerful incentives for other producers to meet those same standards of conservation performance.  The NRCS believes “The conservation benefits gained will help farms and ranches be more environmentally sustainable and will increase the natural resources benefits provided to all Americans.”