Six Missouri watersheds are among 202 across the nation selected to participate in the Conservation Security Program (CSP) this year.

CSP, part of the 2002 Farm Bill, was introduced last summer in 18 watersheds nationwide, including the Little River Ditches Watershed in southeastern Missouri. Administered by the NRCS, CSP is a voluntary program that supports ongoing conservation stewardship of agricultural working land. It compensates farmers for maintaining and enhancing natural resources. About one-eighth of the nation's eligible farmers will have the chance to apply each year over an 8-year period.

"Agricultural producers in Missouri have been protecting our soil and water resources for years," said Roger A. Hansen, NRCS state conservationist. "Now some of them have an opportunity to be rewarded for that stewardship. In time, they all will have that opportunity."

Hansen said that a renewable energy component has been added this year that will further compensate farmers for converting to renewable energy fuels such as soy biodiesel and ethanol, for recycling 100 percent of on-farm lubricants, and for implementing energy production, including wind, solar, geothermal and methane production.

"The USDA wants to reward producers who have implemented best management practices in these areas and are willing to keep them going," said Bob Broz of the MU Extension Water Quality Program.

"You can sign up as a producer who's been doing it, or you can sign up if you want to implement those practices," he said.

Broz added that MU Extension efforts will focus not only on management practices but also on "farmstead assessment." That could mean fuel storage and handling or pesticide storage-a holistic approach to the farm itself.

Some of the targeted watersheds were originally identified by MU Extension personnel working with producers to avoid contamination of water supplies.

"We've spent years assisting in the identification of critical watershed areas. One of the reasons a lot of these have been selected is that the local populations use these surface reservoirs as drinking water," Broz said.

Participants can enroll in one of three tiers in the program, depending on the extent of the conservation treatment in place on their farms or ranches. Payments will be based in part on this existing conservation treatment as well as their willingness to undertake additional environmental enhancements.

NRCS will offer local workshops in the selected watersheds to more fully explain the program to interested potential participants. CSP will continue to be offered each year, on a rotational basis, in as many watersheds as funding allows.

For more information on CSP visit your local NRCS office or go to www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/CSP/csp.html on the Web.