**United States Department of Agriculture NEWS RELEASE**

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6013 Lakeside Boulevard

Indianapolis, IN 46278

www.in.nrcs.usda.gov

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| | | | | **HOOSIER FARMERS BENEFIT FROM CONSERVATION       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | SECURITY PROGRAM**                                |  |  |  |  |
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| | | | | INDIANAPOLIS, August 1, 2005 --Agriculture Deputy |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Secretary Chuck Conner last week announced that   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | USDA will offer 12,700 Conservation Security      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Program (CSP) contracts across the nation. These  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | 2005 contracts being offered translate into more  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | than a \$1 billion long-term commitment to        |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | conservation over the next ten years.             |  |  |  |  |
| | | | |                                                   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | In Indiana, funding for 454 of 621 applications   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | was approved for a total of \$4.9 million. Of     |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | these applications, 211 qualified as Category A   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | and 243 as Category B. NRCS will process payments |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | for Category A contracts by August 5, 2005 and    |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Category B contracts by August 19, 2005. CSP      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | landowners can expect payments soon after the     |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | processing date. In addition, 2005 payments on    |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | fiscal year 2004 contracts have been issued to    |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Indiana recipients for \$1.3 million.             |  |  |  |  |
| | | | |                                                   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | \"CSP rewards farmers who are doing a great job   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | of applying conservation and management practices |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | on their land," said Jane E. Hardisty, state      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Conservation Service in Indiana. "We are pleased  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | to honor Indiana's CSP participants who are       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | setting the bar for others to follow. Their       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | conservation measures result in cleaner water,    |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | healthier soils, enhanced wildlife habitat, and   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | cleaner air, which benefit all of us.\"           |  |  |  |  |
| | | | |                                                   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | The CSP contracts offered cover about 9 million   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | acres of private land in the 220 watersheds       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | nationwide. USDA expects to fully invest the      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | \$202 million provided by Congress for this       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | fiscal year. Environmental enhancement activities |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | offered by applicants include improving soil      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | quality, water quality, wildlife habitat          |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | management, nutrient and pest management, air     |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | quality management and on-farm energy management. |  |  |  |  |
| | | | |                                                   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | NRCS also extended the comment period on the      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | interim final rule for CSP to Sept. 9, 2005. This |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | extension will give the public additional time to |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | comment on key issues regarding implementation of |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | the program. The extension notice was published   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | in the Federal Register on July 20, 2005.         |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Comments can be made via the Federal Register at  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | the Regulations web site                          |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | [mailto:farmbillrules@                            |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | wdc.usda.gov](mailto:farmbillrules@wdc.usda.gov). |  |  |  |  |
| | | | |                                                   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | CSP is a voluntary conservation program that      |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | supports ongoing stewardship of private           |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | agriculture lands by providing payments for       |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | maintaining and enhancing natural resources. NRCS |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | financial and technical assistance promotes the   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | energy, plant and animal life, and other          |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | conservation purposes. CSP will be available each |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | year on a rotational basis in as many watersheds  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | as funding allows. Additional information on CSP, |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | including the self-assessment workbook and        |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | Federal Register notice, is at                    |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp>.          |  |  |  |  |
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Contacts:

Jane E. Hardisty, State Conservationist, (317) 290-3200

Michael McGovern, Public Affairs Specialist, (317) 290-3200, ext. 324

*USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*