CSP Funds Climate-Smart Agriculture – AgriNews

TL/DR –

Illinois State Conservationist Tammy Willis has unveiled a statewide funding opportunity for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. An additional $3.25 billion has been provided for climate-smart agriculture through CSP, of which Illinois received $29.8 million in fiscal year 2025. The funds will advance conservation through practices and enhancements such as cover crop, conservation tillage, wildlife habitat planting, and more, and applications for financial assistance through CSP should be submitted by Illinois’ application deadline for consideration.

Illinois State Conservationist Announces Conservation Stewardship Program Funding Opportunity

Illinois State Conservationist Tammy Willis has launched a statewide funding opportunity for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), backed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The cutoff date for CSP-IRA applications for the fiscal year 2025 is January 10.

The IRA has allocated an additional $3.25 billion nationwide over five years for climate-smart agriculture via CSP. Illinois has been granted $29.8 million in fiscal year 2025 to provide direct climate mitigation benefits.

How the Funds Will Be Used

The CSP-IRA funding will promote conservation on farms and forest lands through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wildlife habitat planting, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, and more.

Application Process

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) accepts continuous applications for its conservation programs.

However, to be considered for the current funding cycle, producers should apply for CSP financial assistance through IRA by the Illinois application deadline.

Applicants interested in CSP-IRA need to submit a signed NRCS-CPA-1200 form to their local NRCS field office. The blank form can be obtained from the NRCS staff.

Producers can use Farmers.gov to apply. Sign in or create an account by clicking on “sign up” on the website.

CSP-IRA applications submitted by January 10 are evaluated by local NRCS staff. The staff assesses the land and resource concerns, answers ranking questions, and determines program eligibility.

If an application ranks high enough to be funded, the NRCS staff develops a contract with the applicant.

—
Read More US Economic News