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Conservation Security Program

Hay field in Homer overlooking Resurrection BayAlaska's best conservation stewards in the Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed gained the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work when Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the first national sign-up of the historic Conservation Security Program (CSP). (more)

The 60-day sign up will begin March 28, 2005.

CSP provides financial rewards and technical assistance to agricultural producers who advance the conservation of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life on Tribal and private working lands.

For more information:
Homer - Mark Kinney (907) 235-8177
Kenai - Meg Mueller (907) 283-8732

Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed

The total estimated area in the watershed is 1,730,000 acres. This watershed is located within the boundaries of the Kenai Peninsula Borough in Southcentral Alaska. The Conservation Security Program will only be available in the digitized soil survey areas of the Lower Kenai Peninsula Area and the Western Kenai Peninsula Area that occur within the Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed hydrologic unit (19020301).

Click here for image map of Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed

The land uses in this watershed consist of rangeland, dry cropland (predominately hayland), and pastureland. The watershed area is located in Major Land Resource Areas 222-Southern Alaska Coastal Mountains, 223-Cook Inlet Mountains, and 224-Cook Inlet Lowlands. The topography ranges from  lowlands, hills, and mountains.  Elevation ranges from sea level to 3,350 feet (1,021 m) in the Kenai Mountains.

The soils range from very deep, well-drained soils formed in volcanic ash over drift and residuum to very poorly drained organic soils in depressions.

In the cropland and rangeland areas of the watershed, there are about 44 farms. The average size farm/ranch is 100 acres. Primary crops include grass hay/timothy, potatoes, hearty vegetable crops, small grains and legumes, and berries. Ranches are mostly cow/calf operations.

Land Cover/Use

Land Use Acres
Forestland 695,000
Rangeland 170,000
Cropland 3,000
Alpine/snow/ice 730,000
Wetland/water 132,000

Application Process

Are you ready for CSP? 

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

Initial Questionnaire (PDF; 9 KB)
CSP Application Process Flowchart (PDF; 177 KB)

CSP Self Assessment Workbook On-Line

Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight released a self-assessment workbook for potential CSP participants. By going through the workbook, producers will get a good idea about whether they are eligible for CSP at this time. Producers who may not be eligible can find out about programs that can help them achieve a higher level of conservation so that they may apply for CSP in the future.

The Self-Assessment also is available for download--see below.

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

CSP Self-Assessment Workbook

Self-Assessment Workbook, (complete workbook, all pages) (941.12KB)

For faster-downloading, the  Self Assessment workbook is also available in two separate sections, without photos:

Workbook Pages, (pages 1-24), (205.05KB)
Appendices without images, (pages 25-55), (296.97KB)

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

Delineating an Agricultural Operation in Conservation Security Program  (PDF; 287 KB)
Pasture and Rangeland Checklist – Required for Tier I and II Enrollment (PDF; 64.4 KB
Water Quality Checklist – Required for Tier I and II Enrollment (PDF; 83.6 KB)
Stream and River Ecological Health Assessment – Required for Tier III Enrollment (PDF; 145 KB)
Wildlife Assessment on Pasture, Native Pasture and Rangeland - Required for Tier III Enrollment  (PDF; 94.7 KB)
Wildlife Assessment on Cropland and Hayland - Required for Tier III Enrollment (PDF; 84.9 KB)
List of Resource Concerns to be Addressed for Tier III Enrollment (PDF; 70.7 KB)

Payment and Costs List

Conservation Security Cost List
 

Enhancement Job Sheets

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

Nutrient Management (PDF; 249 KB)
Soil Management (PDF; 144 KB)
Pest Management (PDF; 167 KB)
Grazing Management (PDF; 189 KB)
Wildlife Habitat Management (PDF; 297 KB)

Energy Enhancements

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

Job Sheet E-1 (PDF; 33.2 KB)
Job Sheet E-2 (PDF; 61.2 KB)
Job Sheet E-3 (PDF; 45.3 KB)
Job Sheet E-4 (PDF; 84.9 KB)
Job Sheet E-5 (PDF; 26.3 KB)

National Information

These documents required Adobe Acrobat

CSP Brochure
Sign Up Announcement
Fact Sheet (PDF; 50.7 KB)
Key Points (PDF; 63.8 KB)
Questions and Answers (PDF; 69.1 KB)

News Release

March 24, 2005-USDA Offers Financial Rewards for Private Land Stewardship
November 2, 2004-National Program Rewarding Conservation Comes to Alaska

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