Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State?
Each State Tells a Story
Generally, CSP fared well during the 2018 Farm Bill despite enduring significant budget cuts and a difficult transition to competitive contract renewals. NRCS staff continued to serve American farmers and ranchers, enrolling 49 million new acres into CSP between fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) injected an additional $ 3.25 billion into CSP and increased both contracts and acres enrolled by nearly a quarter during FY2023. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) met and exceeded the set-asides for both beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged producers and, despite a rocky start, renewed 12,479 CSP contracts to support long-term conservation.
However, each state had its own experience with CSP during the 2018 Farm Bill. This variation reflects the diversity of agriculture across states and the different resource concerns and priorities …
