Producers who practice significant natural resource conservation are eligible for financial rewards as part of the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Stewardship Program.

CSP is a five-year program that offers continuous sign-up. All eligible applicants who sign up by Wednesday will be ranked as a group in October and November, and will be eligible for funding at that time. Subsequent applications likely will be ranked in January or February.

CSP is a voluntary, nationwide program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones in their operations. Authorized as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, the program provides financial and technical assistance to conserve and enhance soil, water, air and related natural resources on producers' land.

Eligible land includes cropland, grassland, prairie, improved pastures, rangeland, non-industrial private forests and agricultural land under an Indian tribe's jurisdiction.

"Farmers and ranchers actively engaged in conservation land stewardship have the opportunity to earn conservation rewards through CSP," said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist in Texas. "This program gives conservationminded producers the ability to apply and build on their current stewardship efforts."

Only the most outstanding stewards will be awarded contracts for CSP and receive funding, Gohmert said.

"CSP is for the best of the best stewards," Gohmert said. "We have many land stewards in Texas that are worthy of this recognition, and I encourage them to apply."

Applicants are encouraged to use a self-screening checklist to determine whether the new program is suitable for them or their operation. The list is available at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov and at NRCS field offices.

After self-screening, the producer's current and proposed conservation practices are entered in the conservation measurement tool, which estimates the level of environmental performance to be achieved by a producer implementing and maintaining conservation activity.

CSP payments will compensate producers for:

• installing and adopting additional conservation activities.

• improving, maintaining and managing conservation activities in place at the time the contract offer is accepted.

• adopting resource-conserving crop rotations.

• conducting activities related to on-farm conservation research and demonstration activities, and pilot testing of new technologies or innovative conservation practices.

The program provides equitable access to all producers, regardless of operation size, crops produced or geographic location.

To learn more about CSP or about whether land qualifies for the program, visit the NRCS office in Lampasas at 407 Plum St., Suite E, or phone 556-5572, ext. 3.