Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) - Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Illinois
The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Illinois State Conservationist Tammy Willis announced a statewide funding opportunity for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The submission deadline for CSP-IRA applications to be considered in fiscal year (FY) 2025 is January 10, 2025.
IRA funding provided an additional $3.25 billion nationwide over five years for climate smart agriculture through CSP. Through the additional CSP-IRA funding, Illinois received $29.8 million in FY 2025 to provide direct climate mitigation benefits to Illinois producers. The CSP-IRA funds will advance conservation on producer’s farm or forest land through practices and enhancements such as cover crop, conservation tillage, wildlife habitat planting, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more.
How to apply
NRCS accepts producer applications for its conservation programs on a continuous basis, however producers interested in CSP financial assistance through IRA should apply by Illinois’ application deadline of January 10, 2025, to be considered for funding in the current cycle.
Producers interested in CSP-IRA should submit a signed application (NRCS-CPA-1200 form) to the local NRCS field office. A blank NRCS-CPA-1200 application form may be obtained from the NRCS staff. Otherwise, an application may be submitted through the Farmers.gov website using your farmers.gov account. Producers wishing to use Farmers.gov, can sign in or create an account by clicking on “Sign up” in the upper right of the website.
CSP-IRA applications submitted by January 10, 2025, will be evaluated by local NRCS staff. The NRCS staff will work with an applicant to assess the land and resource concerns, answer ranking questions, and determine program eligibility. If an application is ranked high enough to be funded, the NRCS staff will work with the applicant to develop a contract.
For information on CSP-IRA contact the local NRCS field office or visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/illinois.