Farmers who signed up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) in 2018 have until April 15 to apply to renew their contract for another five years. All 2018 CSP contracts expire on Dec. 31, 2022.
According to Rubyana Neely, CSP coordinator for NRCS in Iowa, CSP is the largest conservation program in the U.S. and is targeted at working lands.
She says agricultural producers earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities.
However, Neely says the payments are not automatic and go through a ranking process.
Contract holders can visit their local NRCS office to complete the required renewal steps.
She says 505 CSP contracts will expire at the end of the year which help treat natural resource concerns on about 250,800 Iowa acres. Last year, 171 Iowa farmers and landowners renewed contracts. Those contract holders are receiving an average of about $12,000 annually in CSP payments.
