LYONS, Neb. — Unless the USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) makes crucial changes, it will fail to yield its intended results, such as incentivizing the integration of new and innovative conservation systems that “protect and enhance the quality of our soil, water and air,” according to the Center for Rural Affairs (CRA).

“The program – the most significant leap in conservation policy in a decade – was designed to reward top-notch conservation already on the ground,” said Traci Bruckner, CRA senior associate for agriculture and conservation policy. “The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) must base producers’ ranking and payments solely on environmental benefits and outcomes.”

USDA’s public comment period closed Jan. 20. For more information on the CSP statutory changes, visit http://1.usa. gov/1A6AttQ

“They consistently overemphasize the importance of additional or new conservation activities, while failing to adequately support conservation practices and systems farmers and ranchers are currently employing,” said Bruckner, “which misses the mark by supporting late adopters of improved conservation systems over those who have historically placed conservation at the core of their operations.”

Bruckner said the NRCS must also ensure payment limitations are real. “By statute, CSP contracts are limited to $40,000 per fiscal year and $200,000 from fiscal year 2014 through 2018. But the rule doubles the statutory limit for joint operations.

“Worse, the rule fails to require that beneficiaries be active farmers, and allows farms to have multiple contracts, despite the statutory stipulation that the entire farm must be enrolled in the CSP contract. These loopholes allow certain operations to rack up contracts far in excess of the statutory limit and give them a competitive advantage over small and mid-sized farmers,” she added.

By contrast, on Jan. 15 officials of the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and multiple agriculture commodity groups announced they will be partnering, as $2 million in NRCS funding was approved for water quality improvement projects in the Middle Cedar River.

Funded by the USDA’s new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the Middle Cedar Partnership Project (MCPP) will receive a portion of the $370 million in RCPP projects nationwide.

“The city of Cedar Rapids is to be commended for its leadership and vision to partner with farmers to implement conservation practices that will improve water quality throughout the watershed,” said Sean McMahon, executive director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance. “We applaud Cedar Rapids for its spirit of engagement and collaboration in this innovative, public-private partnership.”

Officials said the project will advance implementation of nutrient reduction and flood protection practices in targeted areas of the Middle Cedar, which is part of the larger Cedar River Watershed, with funds from the project supplemented by an additional $2.2 million from partner contributions.

The city is the lead partner on the project, which involves more than a dozen collaborating partners focused on improving Iowa’s water quality. The partners include the Iowa Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA), Iowa Pork Producers Assoc. and Iowa Soybean Assoc.

Columbus Junction farmer Wayne Humphreys, who chairs the ICGA Animal Ag & Environment Committee, said, “Leveraging public and private funds, the federal USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program will extend and intensify efforts in upstream watersheds to further improve water quality.”

The MCPP will focus on specific areas of the Middle Cedar watershed, which covers nearly 2,500 square miles upstream in Benton, Tama and Black Hawk counties. In addition, all three counties’ Soil and Water Conservation Districts have agreed to be collaborating partners along with several others, including the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

“The funds Iowa receives from this project will add substantially to successful efforts already under way in the state to improve water quality,” said Jamie Schmidt, IPPA president and a Garner hog farmer.