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NRCS announces strong interest in new CSPKansas Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White Oct. 13 announced that NRCS has received 21,300 applications to participate in the new Conservation Stewardship Program. These applications cover an estimated 33 million acres, nationwide. "NRCS has received enough applications to carry out conservation activities on more than twice the number of acres Congress authorized for CSP this year," White said. "This incredible response shows that conservation-minded producers and landowners want to attain higher levels of conservation stewardship." Kansas received 778 applications, according to Eric B. Banks, Kansas NRCS State Conservationist, Salina. "Kansas received 541,404 acres in agricultural land and 6,418 acres in nonindustrial private forestland for its share of the annual acreage enrollment," said Banks. Congress capped the annual acreage enrollment nationally at 12,769,000 for each fiscal year. Lands accepted into CSP include private agricultural land (cropland, pastureland, and rangeland) and nonindustrial private forestland--a new land use for the program--and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe. Operators, with control of the land, are eligible to apply for CSP assistance. CSP provides financial and technical assistance to eligible agricultural and forestry producers to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land; and encourages producers to voluntarily implement more conservation practices and improve, maintain, and manage existing ones. "Those who are not approved for funding through this first ranking period will have the option to participate in the second ranking period," said Banks, "which will be held from Oct. 1 through January 2010." For additional information about CSP, including eligibility requirements, the interim final rule, and to submit comments please visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/new_csp or visit your local NRCS field office or Kansas wesite at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.
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