Missouri NRCS Announces Second Batching Date for FY 2024 Conservation Stewardship Program Funding

The Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing March 15, 2024, as the second batching date for applications submitted for Fiscal Year 2024 funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

There are several funding streams included in this batching date to best meet the various needs of producers statewide. They are:

• CSP IRA Classic (all ranking pools are ACT NOW)
• CSP Classic ACT NOW
  • Socially Disadvantaged Nonindustrial Private Forest Land
  • Socially Disadvantaged Ag Lands
  • Organic
• CSP Classic (all other ranking pools not outlined above)

“CSP is our nation’s largest conservation program in terms of participating land,” said Acting Assistant State Conservationist for Programs Lena Hoover. “These various funding streams are allowing us to get more money to more producers, and ultimately, continue to grow this program.”

NRCS uses batching dates for CSP and EQIP as a tool to review, approve and fund applications at several points throughout the year, as opposed to a singular deadline. This ensures that farmers, ranchers and forest landowners looking to enhance conservation practices on their land have several opportunities to receive funding during a fiscal year. NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis, and applications received after a batching date will automatically be considered during future funding cycles.

Increased Minimum Annual CSP Payments

In late 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) increased the minimum annual payment for most agricultural producers participating in CSP from $1,500 to $4,000 starting in fiscal year 2024. The increase addresses challenges faced by small scale, underserved and urban producers, and it improves equity in the program by making participation more financially beneficial for smaller operations. The new minimum payment is available for new and renewed CSP contracts.

Inflation Reduction Act and CSP

Currently, an unprecedented amount of funding is available for CSP through the Inflation Reduction Act and Farm Bill. The Inflation Reduction Act provided $19.5 billion in additional funding for NRCS’ oversubscribed programs like CSP for five years. Inflation Reduction Act funds are available to help producers adopt climate-smart practices.

NRCS recently announced it increased the number of Climate-Smart Agricultural and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding for fiscal year 2024 through CSP, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). To learn more, download the list of practices and a fact sheet.    

ACT NOW

Applications submitted for ACT NOW funding by this cutoff date will be assessed and ranked as soon as the applicant has made treatment decisions through a conservation plan.

Based on fund availability, eligible applications that meet a minimum threshold will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW. Application assessments below the minimum threshold will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program in terms of participating land and is designed to help agricultural producers have more robust conservation activities. This program is designed to help producers take their conservation activities to the next level.

Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agricultural or forest production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of new technologies and new management techniques such as irrigation monitoring, precision agriculture applications, improved grazing systems, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and new soil amendments to improve water quality.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted at local USDA offices. NRCS will conduct an assessment and rank all applications received by the batching date. NRCS will fund applications in ranking order as funding allows.

For more information about NRCS programs and assistance, visit www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov or contact Missouri Programs at (573) 876-0901 or MO.Programs@usda.gov.