South Carolina to Fund 62 Conservation Security Program Contracts
 

        Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the funding of 4,404 Conservation Security Program (CSP) contracts across the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. This included 62 South Carolina contracts, totaling over $10 million dollars for the life of the contracts. Landowners in the Lower Pee Dee Watershed were eligible during the sign-up period which ended in March. Eligible acreage included land in parts of Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg Counties.

        "This year more producers enrolled in the Conservation Security Program, demonstrating that incentives work for voluntary conservation programs," said USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Walt Douglas. "The conservation benefits derived from this program will help South Carolina farmers improve their operations and increase the quality of our natural resources.”
        The FY 2006 CSP contracts offered nationally cover more than 3.7 million acres of private land in 60 watersheds nationwide, which translates to nearly a $440 million long-term investment in conservation over the next ten years.
        CSP is a voluntary conservation program that rewards private landowners for their ongoing stewardship of natural resources. CSP touches all agricultural production sectors from livestock operations to cropland and from orchards and vineyards to sugar bush and nursery crops. The 2006 contracts encourage them to further conserve and improve soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on their operations, while, at the same time, creating incentives for other producers to meet those same standards of conservation performance.
        Douglas said he is pleased with the number of contracts funded. “South Carolina had one of the highest funding rates for CSP in the Southeast.” Landowners receiving funding will be contacted by their local NRCS district conservationist. “I think our success in securing these CSP contracts is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of our NRCS field personnel and partners,” concluded Douglas. “The number of contracts is also an indication of the dedication of South Carolina’s farmers and landowners who are committed to protecting soil and water resources.” CSP will be available each year on a rotational basis in as many watersheds as funding allows.
        NRCS financial and technical assistance promotes the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes. The state-by-state breakdown can be viewed by accessing the following: http://www.usda.gov/documents/statebystatenrcscsp062006.pdf
        Additional information on CSP, including the self-assessment workbook and Federal Register notice, is at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.

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