Big Island Authorized for Conservation Security Program

"NRCS is committed to providing a fair and equitable program that rewards our leading conservationists," said Lawrence Yamamoto, NRCS Director of the Pacific Islands Area.

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private, agricultural working lands and rewards those producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations.

Payments can include three components: 1) an annual stewardship component for the base level of conservation treatment, 2) an annual component for maintenance of existing conservation practices, and 3) an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort. Enhancement activities could include limited pesticide applications, renewable energy generation, and widening existing riparian forest buffers for restoring critical stream habitat.

To apply for CSP, NRCS asks potential participants to complete a CSP self-assessment workbook—available on the Web or from local NRCS offices—to find out if their operation meets the requirements of the program and qualifies for program participation. The self-assessment process is completed using a self-screening questionnaire for each land use to be enrolled. When this process is completed, the producer submits the CSP workbook to the local NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets with NRCS personnel to go over any additional needed documentation. NRCS will then determine if eligibility requirements are met and provide options for the producer's decision on enrollment category placement.

Two informational meetings are scheduled on the Big Island to help producers determine if they are eligible for CSP:

April 16, 2008, 6 - 8 p.m. at the Pahala Community Center

April 17, 2008, 6 - 8 p.m. at the Hilo High School Cafeteria

For accessibility needs or to register for the meeting, please contact the NRCS office in Hilo at (808) 933-8367.