On June 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the Final Rule for administration of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and extended the deadline for enrollment in the second ranking period of the program from June 11 until June 25, 2010, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

The basic program was authorized as the Conservation Security Program in the 2002 Farm Bill and was modified somewhat, along with a name change to the Conservation Stewardship Program, in the 2008 Farm Bill. The recently issued Final Rule adjusts regulations contained in an interim rule that guided the 2009 sign-up for CSP. Among the changes, "pastured cropland" was added as a new category with higher payment limits than long-term pasture land because, in most cases, producers are giving up some income by maintaining pasture on lands capable of producing crops. Another change requires incorporation of grass and/or legumes in crop rotations that qualify for payments as a "resource-conserving crop rotation."

More details on CSP can be found archived in the May 2010 issue of the "Outdoor News Bulletin." (pmr)