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Press Release

USDA Sets Michigan Deadline for Conservation Stewardship Applications

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Applications for the USDA Conservation Stewardship Program must be submitted by Feb. 14, 2025, to be eligible for the current selection period. 

EAST LANSING, Jan. 14, 2025 — A U.S. Department of Agriculture program that provides annual payments for land stewardship is available to Michigan farmers and non-industrial private forest owners. Applications for the USDA Conservation Stewardship Program must be submitted by Feb. 14, 2025, to be eligible for the current selection period. 

Through the Conservation Stewardship Program, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service provides farmers and forestland owners a minimum annual payment of $4,000 for maintaining their existing stewardship practices. Program participants earn additional financial assistance for implementing new conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. The Conservation Stewardship Program also encourages adoption of new technologies and management practices. Program participants enter into 5-year, renewable contracts that encompass the entire farming or forest operation. 

Farmers and forestland owners who have participated in USDA conservation programs and have a conservation or forest management plan are ideal candidates for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program. Applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program are selected on a competitive basis. Additional program funding through the Inflation Reduction Act offers an excellent opportunity for farmers and forestland owners to be selected for enrollment.

The Conservation Stewardship Program is offered in Michigan on a continuous basis. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. The program is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, nonindustrial private forest land and includes land under the jurisdiction of an American Indian tribe. 

For additional information about the Conservation Stewardship Program, contact your local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply online using the farmers.gov portal.