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 313 N Parkway, Jackson, TN 38305

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NEWS RELEASES

 
 

NRCS Tennessee announces application deadline for FY24 CSP Classic and CSP ACT NOW

NASHVILLE, February 8, 2024NRCS Tennessee Acting State Conservationist Dennis Jones announced today the FY2024 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Classic application deadline. Tennessee agricultural producers who wish to be considered for funding this fiscal year should apply by Friday, March 8, 2024

“Through CSP, NRCS helps farmers and ranchers earn payments for maintaining their current level of conservation across their entire operation,” Jones said. “CSP also provides the opportunity for farm operators to expand their conservation activities by adopting new technologies and management techniques.”

CSP provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and increased resilience to weather extremes. The program is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe. Farmsteads and other associated agricultural lands are also included. CSP also provides specific support for organic and transitioning to organic producers.

Tennessee will implement an additional funding opportunity for conservations activities through the socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (agriculture and forestland) and beginning farmer (agriculture and forestland) ranking pools. NRCS Tennessee will be utilizing an ACT NOW approach. Based on the availability of funds, applications with a score greater than a pre-determined threshold will be preapproved once assessed and ranked until funds have been expelled.

To be eligible, contract participants must meet Farm Bill Program eligibility in conjunction with the Farm Service Agency, which includes meeting the highly erodible land and wetland compliance requirements and the adjusted gross income limits.

Applicants must also:

  • Control or own eligible land;
  • Develop an NRCS CSP plan of operations;
  • Provide a map(s) that identifies and delineates the boundaries of all eligible land uses and acres included in their operation; and
  • Identify any ineligible land that is part of their operation.

While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by the deadline to ensure their operations are considered for FY 2024 funding.

Applications can be taken at all NRCS Tennessee county offices and USDA Service Centers.  To locate an office near you, please click visit the USDA Service Center website. Applications MUST be received in your local service center by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024. 

Applicants can submit a signed and dated Form NRCS-CPA-1200 in the office, hand delivered, mailed, scanned, emailed, or through an agency-approved business tool (Farmers.gov). If NRCS receives a program application request by other means, such as by telephone, a NRCS representative must manually prepare Form NRCS-CPA-1200, using the date NRCS received the request to establish the application cut-off deadline has been met. NRCS will follow up to obtain the participant’s signature to ensure the application was properly completed prior to ranking.

NRCS continually strives to put conservation planning at the forefront of its programs and initiatives. Conservation plans provide landowners with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of their resources and an appropriate start to improving the quality of soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife on their land.

Click here to print full pdf version of this news release.

Please visit the NRCS Tennessee website here

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.   

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District is one of 95 such Districts in the state and one of 3,000 such Districts across the country.  The District is a corporate and political subdivision of Tennessee state government, having the same geographic boundaries as those of Madison County, comprising some 358,000 cares.  It was established by the state soil conservation committee at the request of Madison County landowners in 1941 and was organized in accordance with the purposes, provisions, powers and restrictions set forth within the Tennessee Soil & Water Conservation District Law 43-14-201 through 43-14-223.  Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District was the ninth Soil & Water Conservation District to be organized in Tennessee.  The District is governed by a board of supervisors composed of five landowners residing within the District.  Two of the supervisors are appointed to serve three year terms by the state soil conservation committee, while three of the supervisors are elected to serve three years by the land owners within the District.  The present board consists of Don Johnson, Chairman; Alan Ewell, Vice Chairman; Matt Griggs, Secretary-Treasurer; Chris Couch, Member; and Jim Tyson, Member.

The District was organized with the help of promotional work by T.W. Hillsman, U.T. Extension Agent, and John Aycock, Soil Conservation Service Conservationist.  The District's first program of work was prepared on September 10, 1941.  A Memorandum of Understanding was completed with the United States Department of Agriculture on September 26, 1941.  A supplemental Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Soil Conservation Service on October 1, 1941.

The function of the District is to locate technical, financial and educational resources then coordinate and focus these resources toward the application of sound natural resource conservation practices.  In meeting this purpose, the District works with and serves landowners, farmers, ranchers, wildlife advocates, conservationists, environmentalists, teachers, students, businesses, agencies, government officials, and the general public.

The District is proud to be a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), and the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts (TACD).

 

HISTORY

The organization of conservation districts in Tennessee began June 13th 1940 with the creation of Sumner County and Lauderdale County SWCDs.  By 1959, with the creation of the Lake County SCD on September 9th, all 95 counties in Tennessee had formed soil conservation districts. 

The Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District is a corporate and political subdivision of Tennessee.  Organized July 10th, 1941 by the state soil & water conservation committee at the request of Madison County landowners, the district became the tenth soil conservation district to be formed in Tennessee.  It received its charter from the state on October 1st, 1941.  The original board was composed of Tom Lewis, C. O. Hopper, J. Harris Smith, N.T. Mayo, and Roy Ozier.  Organized in accordance with the purposes, provisions, power and restrictions set forth within the Tennessee Soil & Water Conservation District law the district geographical and policital boundaries are the same as those of Madison County, comprising some 358,000 acres of land and water.  The district is one of 95 such districts in the state and one of 3,000 districts across the country.

The District does much to promote conservation but its primary function is as an intermediary between owners of privately owned agricultural property and the Federal Government, wherein, through cooperating agreements between the District and private landowners, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the Federal Government under USDA will provide certain technical services and financial aid to assist private landowners with the prevention and reduction of soil erosion and with the conservation of soil related natural resources.