ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD) announces April 5 as the deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) classic applications. KCCD is accepting applications immediately. Interested farmers, ranchers or landowners should contact the District at 509-925-3352 or 2211 W. Dolarway Road, Suite 4, Ellensburg.
Funding is provided by means of a partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the “Yakima Integrated Plan – Toppenish To Teanaway” Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project. This RCPP project has provided assistance through four previous Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) sign-ups, but this will be producers first opportunity to apply for CSP through this project. For more information, visit the project webpage at https://www.kccd.net/rcpp.
Through CSP classic, NRCS helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. CSP also encourages adoption of new technologies and management techniques. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and nonindustrial private forest land.
Interested producers should complete their Farm Service Agency (FSA) eligibility requirements and submit applications and required items below to their local NRCS office by the deadline date to become an eligible application to be considered for 2021 funding. Applicants must:
- Control or own eligible land
- Comply with adjusted gross income limitation (AGI) provisions
- Be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements
- Develop an NRCS CSP plan of operations
- Provide a map(s) that identifies and delineates the boundaries of all eligible land uses and acres included in the operation.
- Identify any ineligible land that is part of the operation as described above.
For more information about those requirements, contact the local NRCS field office at 2211 W Dolarway Road, Suite 6, Ellensburg or 509-925-8585 ext. 115.
While USDA offices are currently closed to visitors because of the pandemic, Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. To conduct business, please contact your local USDA Service Center. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
— USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
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