Producers enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) have 60 days to notify the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) if they lose control of any acreage enrolled in a CSP contract, Henry English, director of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, said.
Failure to report the loss of any acreage in the contract within 60 days results in a violation of the contract which triggers an automatic termination of that contract and a liquidated damage fee of 10 percent of that contract. For example, if a producer has a contract for $40,000, he will automatically incur a fee of $4,000.
“Many producers do not realize that failure to report the loss of any acreage in a contract within 60 days results in the cancellation of that contract,” English said.
If producers lose control of any acreage in their CSP contract, they should notify NRCS immediately in writing. Be sure to include a description of the acreage in the contract that was lost, English said.
Signup for participation in CSP is continuous. CSP encourages producers to improve their conservation practices by adopting additional activities to improve, maintain or manage ongoing activities on agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land.
Detail: Contact the local NRCS office.