Piscataquis River Watershed was selected as one of 202 watersheds nation wide for this year's CSP signup. CSP, part of the 2002 Farm Bill, is a tremendous opportunity for farmers who practice good soil and water conservation. The purpose of CSP is to reward the best conservation farmers for their stewardship efforts and motivate others to become good stewards of the land.

To qualify for CSP, farms will need to have soil erosion and water quality practices in place, including nutrient and pest management. Lands that are eligible include cropland (row crops, orchards, vineyards, and horticultural crops), hayland, pasture lands, and incidental forest land.

The CSP signup process will be different from other USDA conservation programs. Participants are required to conduct a self-assessment to determine on their own whether or not they are eligible for the program.

Before taking the self-assessment, NRCS recommends you complete the following checklist for land you are considering enrolling in CSP.

• Do you take soils tests and follow the recommendations when applying nutrients/fertilizer?
• Do you have records of where you apply nutrients/fertilizer?
• Do you have records on how much nutrients/fertilizer you apply?
• Do you have records on when you apply nutrients?
• If you raise cultivated or row crops (i.e., potatoes, corn, beans, vegetables) do you follow a crop rotation so these crops are only produced half of the years and hay or small grains (i.e., oats, barley) are grown the other years?
• If you apply pesticides do you have records that document the pesticide type, amount, time applied and rate?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions you would potentially be eligible to participate in CSP and should call your local NRCS office at 564-2321 to reserve a spot at an upcoming workshop to be hosted by NRCS and the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District on January 20, 2005 at the USDA Service Center, 42 Pine Crest Drive, Dover-Foxcroft, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

If you answered “no” to most of the checklist questions, you should still consider completing the self-assessment in the next few months to help you prepare for future CSP signups and to help NRCS identify other conservation programs which can help you better protect the natural resources on your farm. Contact the local NRCS office to get a copy of the self-assessment workbook, or go to www.me.nrcs.usda.gov.

“Producers in the Piscataquis River Watershed are known for their work to conserve natural resources,” said Dow. “These informational meetings will provide the opportunity to obtain a copy of the self-assessment workbook and to learn more about CSP, which is designed to financially reward outstanding conservation work on private lands.”

Although no announcement of a sign up date for the CSP has been made, it is anticipated to be sometime late this winter.