NRCS Programs
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
The Conservation Stewardship Program encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations. CSP is a new voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. CSP provides opportunities to both recognize excellent stewards and deliver valuable new conservation.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides cost share assistance to landowners to install a variety of conservation practices. It also provides incentive payments to producers to apply management practices like conservation tillage and no-till planting, nutrient management, irrigation water management, and prescribed grazing.
Initiative for Seasonal Tunnel System for Crops
Initiative for Seasonal Tunnel System for Crops
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
NRCS provides the technical assistance for the Conservation Reserve Program. This program sets aside cropland and marginal pasture land from production, pays an annual rental fee while it is retired, and assists with the cost of establishing the land to permanent cover like native grasses and forbs, and trees.
Buffer Information
Below is the standard response NRCS has been giving on buffers. Additional information on buffers is in the response. The 393 filter strip practice is the best suited option, however other practices exist that could meet setback criteria and be considered buffers.
Response: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has multiple conservation practices that are useful in meeting Minnesota laws regarding vegetative buffers along streams, shorelines, and other water bodies. MN NRCS has several publications that can help promote the use of buffers and conservation practices that may meet this requirement. Each practice has specific requirements that are referenced in our Conservation Practice Standards and Job Sheets that can be found in our Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). The link to the MN FOTG is included below. The conservation practices that could be most utilized for meeting this requirement would be the Filter Strip (393) and the Riparian Forest Buffer Practice (391).
Field Office Tech Guide; Section 4: http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspx
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) also has information on buffers.
CTIC Website: http://www.conservationinformation.org/Core4/Conservation%20Buffers/
NRCS writes conservation plans for USDA purposes and to meet the producer’s objectives. The practices we schedule must meet NRCS standards while also taking into account the producer’s needs. When the producer’s objective is to meet the requirements of State Laws and specifications, NRCS will integrate these needs into the plan and planning alternatives. Our goal is to solve as many identified resource concerns as possible during the planning process while also taking crop production and the needs of our producer into consideration.
Financial assistance may be available to help our producers install conservation practices identified in the planning g process. Below you will find a link to our webpage dedicated to our financial assistance programs.
MN NRCS Financial Assistance: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mn/programs/financial/
NRCS developed plans and practices may or may not be recognized by our partners or regulatory agencies as being valid or acceptable because participation in USDA programs is voluntary. USDA participation is voluntary and the decision to install filter strips, riparian buffers, or other conservation practices is up to the participant. We always encourage our producers to contact additional agencies to ensure that the local, state and federal rules and regulations are being followed.
Buffer Information
Below is the standard response NRCS has been giving on buffers. Additional information on buffers is in the response. The 393 filter strip practice is the best suited option, however other practices exist that could meet setback criteria and be considered buffers.
Response: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has multiple conservation practices that are useful in meeting Minnesota laws regarding vegetative buffers along streams, shorelines, and other water bodies. MN NRCS has several publications that can help promote the use of buffers and conservation practices that may meet this requirement. Each practice has specific requirements that are referenced in our Conservation Practice Standards and Job Sheets that can be found in our Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). The link to the MN FOTG is included below. The conservation practices that could be most utilized for meeting this requirement would be the Filter Strip (393) and the Riparian Forest Buffer Practice (391).
Field Office Tech Guide; Section 4: http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspx
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) also has information on buffers.
CTIC Website: http://www.conservationinformation.org/Core4/Conservation%20Buffers/
NRCS writes conservation plans for USDA purposes and to meet the producer’s objectives. The practices we schedule must meet NRCS standards while also taking into account the producer’s needs. When the producer’s objective is to meet the requirements of State Laws and specifications, NRCS will integrate these needs into the plan and planning alternatives. Our goal is to solve as many identified resource concerns as possible during the planning process while also taking crop production and the needs of our producer into consideration.
Financial assistance may be available to help our producers install conservation practices identified in the planning g process. Below you will find a link to our webpage dedicated to our financial assistance programs.
MN NRCS Financial Assistance: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mn/programs/financial/
NRCS developed plans and practices may or may not be recognized by our partners or regulatory agencies as being valid or acceptable because participation in USDA programs is voluntary. USDA participation is voluntary and the decision to install filter strips, riparian buffers, or other conservation practices is up to the participant. We always encourage our producers to contact additional agencies to ensure that the local, state and federal rules and regulations are being followed.