Four Iowa Watersheds Selected for 2005 CSP Sign-Up

November 5, 2004

Four watersheds including parts of 32 Iowa counties are among the 202 watersheds selected for the fiscal year 2005 Conservation Security Program, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service recently announced.

The watersheds include the Turkey and Upper Wapsipinicon in northeast Iowa, North Raccoon in central Iowa and Platte, which crosses the Missouri state line, in southwest Iowa. These four watersheds include more than 3.9 million acres and 10,337 farms. Iowa was one of 22 states selected for the first CSP signup this past summer.

“This is a significant expansion of CSP in Iowa,” said NRCS State Conservationist Richard Van Klaveren. “Landowners and producers in these watersheds should be looking for a signup announcement in very near future.”

Later this year, NRCS will offer local workshops in the selected watersheds to more fully explain the program to interested potential participants. More details about CSP in Iowa can be found at http://www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.html.

Van Klaveren encouraged producers and landowners in the selected watersheds to participate in a workshop to learn more about CSP and how they can get started in the self-assessment and application process.  He also suggested people outside of CSP watersheds should start working with their local NRCS offices to learn how they can best prepare for CSP before the next round of watersheds are announced for FY 2006.

“Producers face critical management decisions about tillage and nutrient management that may affect their CSP eligibility,” Van Klaveren said. “The sooner they get in their local office and understand the impacts of their choices, the better chance a producer can preserve his or her opportunity to participate in CSP,” he said.

CSP is a voluntary program that supports ongoing conservation stewardship of agricultural working lands and enhances the condition of America’s natural resources. NRCS will offer CSP each year, on a rotational basis, in as many watershed as funding allows. For more information on CSP and other NRCS programs see http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/

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Contact:
Laura Greiner
State Public Affairs Specialist
515-323-2207
laura.greiner@ia.usda.gov