USDA Announces Selection of First CSP Participants

Contact: Jasper Parker, 405-742-1243

Tonkawa, Oklahoma, August 26, 2004—Darrel Dominick, state conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, speaking from the Diemer farm near Tonkawa, Oklahoma, today echoed Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman in announcing that $41 million in contracts will be awarded to farmers and ranchers in 22 states who will be the first in the nation to participate in the new Conservation Security Program (CSP).

In Oklahoma, one of 22 states to participate in this debut program year, Dominick announced that 177 contracts (166 in Oklahoma, 11 in Kansas) would be awarded to agriculture producers in the Lower Salt Fork of the Arkansas River Watershed.

Speaking from the farm of Bob and Carol Diemer, the first to sign a CSP contract in the Lower Salt Fork of the Arkansas River Watershed, Dominick stated that producers would receive between $100 and $41,325 for a broad range of conservation work that is protecting and enhancing natural resources including water quality, soil quality and wildlife habitat.

The Diemers run a 4,476-acre farming operation in Kay County, Oklahoma. Crop production includes wheat, corn, soybean, milo, and alfalfa. They utilize no-till cropping systems on the entire farm. Part of the farm was homesteaded by Diemer's grandfather in 1893.

Also speaking at the event were representatives from the Diemer Farm, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, and the Kay County Conservation District.

The applicants will be participating on three different tiers reflecting both their documented historical conservation management as well as their agreement to do additional practices to further enhance the environment. 

“All successful applicants have achieved high technical standards for protecting soil and water quality,” said Dominick. “These are model conservationists who we can point to as our first line of defense in managing ecosystems like the Lower Salt Fork of the Arkansas River Watershed with both productivity and careful stewardship as twin goals.”

While conservation incentive programs and technical assistance from NRCS date back to the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s, CSP represents the first time agricultural producers are being paid for ongoing stewardship.

In Oklahoma, the 177 farmers and ranchers who were awarded CSP contracts today represent 118,276 acres with over $1,300,000 of CSP funds obligated. Work done by the producers in the Lower Salt Fork of the Arkansas River Watershed will significantly benefit both their own watershed and the people and resources downstream.

Other states participating in CSP sign ups today included Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. The program will be offered each year, on a rotational basis, in as many watersheds as funding allows.

CSP is a voluntary program that supports ongoing conservation stewardship of agricultural working lands and enhances the condition of America’s natural resources.

All programs and services of the Natural Resources Conservation Service are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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