10/04/05 Prepare now for CSP signups this fall

Producers in the Clearwater or lower north fork of the Clearwater drainage and those in the Lower Bear-Malad watershed are eligible for enrollment in the Conservation Security Program. NRCS state director Rich Sims says the signups will take place this fall but you can start gathering your records now. SIMS "And as you look at the water and soil quality items what we need to have brought in is a soil sample for your operation that you want to submit for the program. It has to have been taken in the last five years for each field that an individual wants to submit for the program." This year the program brought 1.6 million dollars back to Idaho County producers. Sims says producers eligible this year need to be in compliance with some other provisions. SIMS "Their Highly Erodible Land Determination. We did that back in the '85 farm bill, the wetland provisions and of course there's one new item that happened in the '96 farm bill and that's the Adjust Gross Income." NRCS will use all of this information to determine producer eligibility and tier level once the official CSP sign-up begins later this fall or early winter. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott