Teresa Hoffman, policy communications associate, [email protected], 402.687.2100 ext. 1012; or Rhea Landholm, brand marketing and communications manager, [email protected], 402.687.2100 ext 1025
LYONS, NEBRASKA—The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has helped Nebraska and Iowa farmers and ranchers achieve conservation goals on their operations for nearly two decades, and the states are national leaders of the program in multiple aspects.
In 2018, 13 percent of Nebraska’s and 5 percent of Iowa’s total agricultural land was enrolled in CSP, according to fact sheets released today by the Center for Rural Affairs. In acres, that translates to 6,038,535 acres and 1,665,087 acres, respectively.
The resources also include information such as the number of active CSP contracts, financial assistance allocated, and the top conservation practices used in the state.
Administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), CSP provides financial and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to maintain agricultural production on their land, and simultaneously address resource concerns with conservation practices. The program is set up so that producers must demonstrate existing conservation efforts, and then have the opportunity to build on those efforts with new practices and enhancements.
“What we found—in both the NRCS data and our own research—is that the farmers and ranchers who use CSP are highly satisfied with the program, and Nebraska and Iowa are leading the nation in various ways in program use,” said Kate Hansen, policy assistant for the Center.
Hansen said the fact sheet can be a valuable resource for producers, landowners, and policy makers alike.
“As Congress prepares to return to Washington, D.C., they should not forget about the importance of conservation,” Hansen said. “Conservation offers resiliency for operations, which we have seen is sorely needed in these tough times.”
The resource follows the release of a national report from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
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