The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging farmers, agricultural producers and forest landowners in Wisconsin to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) by Feb. 9, 2024, to be considered for funding in 2024. Currently, an unprecedented amount of funding is available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides an additional $19.5 billion in funding for CSP and other oversubscribed NRCS programs.
The Inflation Reduction Act funding incentivizes producers to adopt climate-smart practices, new technologies and management techniques through CSP, earning payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. With the start of the new fiscal year, the minimum annual payment for CSP participants has been increased from $1,500 to $4,000. This increase aims to address challenges faced by small-scale, underserved, and urban agricultural producers, by making the program more equitable and financially beneficial for smaller operations.
“Increasing the minimum payment to CSP participants regardless of the size of their operation helps to make participation worthwhile for a larger number of producers,” said Josh Odekirk, Acting State Conservationist for Wisconsin NRCS. “CSP is the largest conservation program in the United States and continues to be a very effective tool for private landowners working to achieve their conservation and management goals. The addition of Inflation Reduction Act dollars to the program allows NRCS the opportunity to work with even more agricultural and forestry producers.”
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Categories: Wisconsin, Government & Policy