Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced proposed changes to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and says USDA is now seeking comments on those changes.
“Farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial forestland owners enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program are our nation’s conservation leaders as they go the extra mile to conserve our natural resources,” Vilsack said. “This program continues to enable owners and managers of private lands to reach the next level of conservation.”
The rule also establishes the role of CSP as one of the programs to help the Regional Conservation Partnership Program accomplish its purposes. Vilsack said participants will be delivering more conservation benefits than ever under the revised program rules.
USDA published an interim final rule containing the statutory changes to CSP in the Federal Register today. USDA is seeking public comment on the rule through Jan. 5, 2015. The public comments will be used to finalize the interim final rule.
The CSP interim final rule can be viewed at nrcs.usda.gov and the Federal Register. USDA will publish a final rule, which will establish the program’s policy for the life of the 2014 Farm Bill.