The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is the latest evolution of the former Conservation Security Program, in which about 300 rice farms successfully participated.

Land previously enrolled in the former Conservation Security Program is not eligible for the new program until the contracts expire. However, if you have any land not included in the previous program, you may enroll these additional acres into the new CSP.

The CSP is designed to provide compensation for good stewardship on working lands. The program pays up to $40,000 per year for five-year CSP contracts.

This new version of the CSP hopes to greatly streamline the process. The centerpiece of the new program is an evaluation of your farm with a new Conservation Management Tool. The USDA will use this tool to help producers quickly identify how the program fit with their operations.