USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Federal stewardship program providing annual payments to farmers who maintain and enhance existing conservation practices on their working lands.

Unlike EQIP, which funds installation of new practices, CSP rewards farmers already implementing conservation by paying them to maintain existing practices and add new enhancements. Five-year contracts reward whole-operation stewardship on cropland, grassland, and forest land. Water quality, soil health, and habitat are among the resource concerns CSP addresses. Pennsylvania watershed groups use CSP as a complementary tool to EQIP — CSP locks in long-term conservation commitments while EQIP funds initial adoption. Applications are accepted year-round at local NRCS field offices. Priority ranking favors operations with the highest baseline stewardship levels.