NRCS Chief Terry Cosby has issued a waiver to the two-year ineligibility "cooling off" period under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The existing regulation imposes a two-year ineligibility for prior participants wishing to enroll lands in CSP if they do not enter a renewal contract at the end of their initial contract period. This ineligibility was previously imposed on CSP participants even if their failure to enter into a renewal contract was due to unavailability of funds.
Chief Terry Cosby has waived this cooling off period for all past, current, and future CSP Renewal participants. Unfunded CSP Renewal participants will no longer be determined ineligible based upon inability to enter into a renewal contract.
South Dakota NRCS has set an updated batching date for CSP 2022 Classic signup. This batching date was originally set for December 3, 2021. South Dakota NRCS wants to give the CSP 2022 Renewals who did not get funded an opportunity to apply for the CSP 2022 Classic. Producers must notify their local NRCS field office and sign a new application by close of business Jan. 21 if they are interested in applying for CSP in fiscal year 2022.
CSP is offered in South Dakota through continuous sign-ups. The program provides many potential benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and increased resilience to weather extremes. The CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, non-industrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a Tribe.
Categories: South Dakota, Sustainable Agriculture