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1 (July 24, 2006)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabchu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS21740 Updated July 24, 2006 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Conservation Security Program: Implementation and Current Issues Tadlock Cowan Analyst in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The Conservation Security Program (CSP), authorized in the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171), is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote conservation and improvement of natural resources on tribal and private working lands within selected watersheds. CSP is administered by USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Financial assistance is based on three tiers of participation, with each tier representing a higher degree of resource management standards. Contracts extend from 5 to 10 years. The first enrollment for CSP was in July 2004 and included 18 watersheds in 22 states. The 2004 enrollment was controversial because NRCS instituted strict eligibility criteria for enrollment that were not included in the CSP authorization. A second enrollment in November 2005 was implemented in 220 watersheds nationwide. These two enrollments resulted in 15,000 contracts with landowners on 12.1 million acres of working agricultural lands. On February 7, 2006, a third CSP enrollment was announced. This enrollment includes 60 additional watersheds, and also encompasses Guam and the Caribbean. FY2006 funding is limited to $259 million, with approximately $50 million available for new contracts. For FY2006, 4,404 contracts were accepted, adding more than 3.7 million acres of private land in 60 watersheds. Most of these contracts fell into the highest tier of conservation. This report will be updated periodically. Background CSP in the 2002 Farm Bill. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is an agricultural conservation program first created in the 2002 farm bill (P. L. 107-171, §2001).1 CSP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). It provides incentives for farmers to pursue conservation and helps pay for conservation practices. Unlike some other NRCS programs, CSP Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress 1 This report is an updated and revised version of a report originally written by former CRS analyst Barbara Johnson.

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