News Release

[For Immediate Release\
April 8, 2005\
\
]{.smallcaps}For more information,
contact:![](media/image1.png){width="1.7875in"
height="0.4465277777777778in"}

Liz Warner (775) 857-8500 x 105

Peggy Hughes (775) 857-8500 x 103

**Signup Announced for Conservation Security Program**

RENO, April 8 -- Richard Vigil, state conservationist for the USDA's
Natural Resources Conservation Service said farmers and ranchers can now
sign up for enrollment in the Conservation Security Program in Nevada.

The new sign-up, which began March 28, was announced by Agriculture
Secretary Mike Johanns at the National Agriculture Day Luncheon in
Washington. It will make the Conservation Security Program available to
400 farmers and ranchers in 3 watersheds in Nevada and a fourth
watershed on the Nevada/Oregon/California border. The sign-up will
continue through May 27.

"This is a unique program that offers payments for enhancing natural
resources, rewards those farmers and ranchers who are model
conservationists and provides incentives for other producers to meet
those same high standards of environmental performance," said Vigil.

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing
conservation and environmental management programs on working
agricultural lands, including cropland, orchards, vineyards, pasture and
range.

"Farmers need only one eligible field in their agricultural operation to
enroll," said Peggy Hughes, NRCS assistant state conservationist. "Once
they are in the program, we can modify their contract to take them to a
higher level."

Under the existing rule, agricultural producers won't be able to apply
again for eight years.

Payments will be made using three tiers of conservation contracts and
are capped at \$20,000, \$35,000 and \$45,000 annually. Contracts last
for five years for Tier I, and five to 10 years for Tier II and Tier
III.

Payments can include four components: (1) an annual stewardship
component for the base level of conservation treatment, (2) an annual
component for maintenance of existing conservation practices, (3) a
one-time new practice component for additional needed practices, and (4)
an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort.

Enhancement activities could include managing and improving livestock
movement and grazing; recycling of all used motor oil for tractors and
lubricating oil for other farm equipment such as irrigation pumps or
grain drying motors; managing and improving wetland wildlife nesting
habitat by providing nest boxes or nesting platforms; and reducing soil
compaction by controlling areas of traffic.

The CSP program sign-up also includes a renewable energy component.
Eligible producers will receive compensation for converting to renewable
energy fuels such as soy biodiesel and ethanol, for recycling 100
percent of on-farm lubricants, and for implementing energy production,
including wind, solar, geothermal and methane production.

To apply for CSP, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service asks
potential participants to complete a self-assessment workbook (available
on the Web or from local NRCS offices) to determine if their operations
meet the requirements of the program and qualify for program
participation. The self-assessment process is completed by using a
self-screening questionnaire for each land use to be enrolled.

When this process is complete, the producer submits the workbook and
records to the local NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets
with NRCS personnel to go over any additional needed documentation. NRCS
will then determine which enrollment category the producer qualifies for
and selects the categories to be funded through CSP.

Sign-up materials and additional information on CSP, including eligible
watersheds, is available at local NRCS offices or on the web at
http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.

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