Natural Resources Conservation Service s59

U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service

Contact: Betsy Gillen, 262.335.4801, [email protected]

Note to editors: Milwaukee River Watershed includes parts of Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties.

See map at ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WI/csp/07/milwriver7x10.jpg 1.6 MB

Workshops Scheduled April 7; Signup Starts April 18 Milwaukee River Watershed Eligible for Conservation Security Program

Farmers in the Milwaukee River Watershed are eligible to apply for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) for 2008. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service recently announced the signup period begins April 18 and ends on May 16. The Milwaukee River will be the only eligible watershed in Wisconsin this year. This watershed includes parts of Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. Nationally, 51 watersheds were selected for the program. CSP is a voluntary program that rewards stewardship and conservation on working farmland. The 2008 signup marks the fourth time Wisconsin has had eligible watersheds. Wisconsin has already enrolled 195,000 acres and 650 farmers from the six watersheds that were eligible in the past. In the last CSP signup, the average first year payment was $6,500 for CSP farmers in Wisconsin.

Register for the CSP Workshop NRCS will hold two workshops to provide more information and to help farmers begin their applications. The workshops are Monday, April 7 at the Auburn Town Hall, two miles east of Campbellsport at the intersection of Hwy 45 and Sunset Drive. The two-hour sessions will be at 1 pm, and repeated again at 7 pm. To RSVP and register for the workshop, call Betsy at 262.335.4801.

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Get Ready for CSP CSP was established to reward the best conservation farmers. If you farm land in the Milwaukee River Watershed, here are some things you can do to get ready to apply?  Review nutrient management and conservation plans  Assemble nutrient and pest management records for the past two years  Assemble air photo maps from FSA of all cropland fields

Farmers need to know that this is a unique chance to reap financial rewards for years of good conservation. The future of this program is currently being considered by Congress as part of the next Farm Bill. The signup itself is April 18 through May 16. For more information on CSP, contact

Betsy Gillen at the West Bend NRCS Office in the USDA Service Center for

Ozaukee/Washington County. Additional information on CSP, including a detailed maps of the land in the watersheds, is at http://www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov/ under Conservation Security

Program.

# Are you eligible?

1. Do you have cropland, hayland, pastureland, vineyards and/or orchards that you wish to enroll in the Conservation Security Program (CSP)?

2. Do you own or have control of the land you intend to enroll in CSP for the length of the proposed 5 to 10 year contract period?

3. Do you share in the risk of producing the crop or livestock on this farm?

4. Do you use conservation practices on your farming operation, such as nutrient and pest management, grassed waterways or residue management?

If you have answered yes to all of these questions, consider attending a CSP workshop to find out what opportunities you may have in CSP. Note: Land currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program or Grassland Reserve Program are not eligible acres for CSP. Landowners who cash rent all their land are ineligible. Milwaukee River Watershed 2008 Conservation Security Program