FAQs: CSP Payment Rates

PAYMENT RATES

How much will producers who participate in CSP get paid?

Annual payment amounts for CSP are based on the costs incurred by impelemting activities, income forfeited by the producer, and expected environmental benefits. The number of acres an applicant is enrolling in CSP and the type of land enrolled also determine the annual payment.

Annual payments are calculated using the Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT). The CMT calculates performance points based on applicants existing conservation activities and future conservation activities. Future conservation activities have a higher payment rate than existing conservation activities. These points are multiplied by the acreage on which each conservation activity is performed and then multiplied again by the land-use payment rate. The land-use payment rate is hightest for cropland, followed by pasture, and rangeland and forest land at the lowest end. Finally, producers who use resource-conserving crop rotations will receive an additional supplemental payment.

A person or entity may not receive more than $40,000 per year in CSP payments and $200,000 over any five-year period. Joint operations are limited to $80,000 and $400,000 respectively.

Is there a minimum payment for small farmers participating in CSP?

NRCS will make a minimum contract payment for small producers where the annual contract payment would otherwise be less than $1000 if the producer is a beginning farmer or rancher, socially disadvantaged, or limited resource. The rate of the minimum payment has not yet been determined.

Can I receive payments for land I rent as well as land I own?

You can receive payments for land you rent and/or own, as long as you can document that you have control of the land for the length of the CSP contract, which is five years. All land, whether owned or rent, is to be enrolled in the program. The only exception would be for land that is run as a completely separate operation with separate equipment, labor, finances, and management.

How many years can I receive conservation payments under CSP?

You will receive conservation payments under CSP for the length of the CSP contract. Each year’s payment rate will be the same. All CSP contracts are five years, and CSP contracts can be extended for an additional five years if the terms of the first contract have been fulfilled and additional conservation efforts are agreed to.

What is the schedule of payments for my CSP contract?

The total amount of payments that you receive is averaged out for each of the five years and you receive one payment a year until the end of the contract.