United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Ohio Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content



Producer Self-Screening Checklist

The document below requires Adobe Acrobat Reader:

2009 Conservation Stewardship Self-Screening Checklist (PDF, 98KB)

This checklist should be used by the potential CSP applicant to determine if the applicant is eligible to participate in CSP prior to submitting an application to for CSP.

To participate in CSP, a producer must meet:

  • Applicant Eligibility
  • Land Eligibility
  • Stewardship Threshold Requirement

Applicant Eligibility Requirements (all requirements must be met)

  • Is the operator of record in Farm Service Agency (FSA) record system, or establish FSA records prior to application
  • Has documented control of the land for the term of the contract (5 years)
  • Is in compliance with highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions
  • Is in compliance with average adjusted gross income provisions. If the average adjusted gross nonfarm income is greater than $1 million, the person or legal entity is not eligible unless 66.66 percent or more of the average adjusted gross income is attributable to farming activities.

Land Eligibility Requirements (all requirements must be met)

  • Private/Tribal agricultural land or nonindustrial private forest land
  • Must include the entire agricultural operation (land for which you are the operator in FSA farm records management system)
  • Applicant elects whether to include the nonindustrial private forest land component
  • Land ineligible for CSP includes land enrolled in CRP, WRP, GRP, Conservation Security Program, public land, and land used for crop production not planted or considered planted 4 of 6 years prior to June 2008

Stewardship Threshold Requirements

If you can check two or more of the statements for each land use you have, you may be a good candidate for CSP.

Cropland:

  • Fields are managed with few signs of erosion or soil being carried to field edges or water bodies.
  • Crop residues remain on fields after harvest, or cover crops are planted.
  • Grass or woody buffer areas intercept field runoff prior to entering streams, ditches, lakes, etc.
  • Nutrients are applied according to land grant university recommendations.
  • Areas on your farm are actively managed for wildlife habitat.
  • If you irrigate your cropland, water application is scheduled based on soil moisture monitoring and/or evapotranspiration monitoring.

Pastureland:

  • Pastures show few signs of erosion from livestock trails, feeding areas and watering areas.
  • There is a healthy stand of grass and enough forage for your livestock.
  • Livestock access to streams, ponds and lakes, is managed.
  • Pastures or areas adjacent to your pastures are actively managed for wildlife habitat.
  • If you irrigate your pastureland, water application is scheduled based on soil moisture monitoring and/or evapotranspiration monitoring.

Nonindustrial private forest land:

Nonindustrial private forest land” is rural land with existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees. Applicants elect whether or not to submit nonindustrial private forest land for funding consideration. Nonindustrial private forest land will be ranked separately for funding approval against other nonindustrial private forestland.

  • Forest/woodland is “green certified” by one of the following recognized programs: Tree Farm System, Green Tag, Smart Wood, Forest Stewardship Council, or Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
  • One or more improvements have been made to your forest/woodland in the past 10 years according to a written forest management or stewardship plan that was prepared with assistance from a certified/licensed natural resource professional. Examples of improvements may include prescribe thinning, tree planting, establishing a firebreak, etc.
  • There is no apparent erosion on harvested or burned areas, roads, skid trails and landings.
  • Native trees are appropriately stocked on the property (except temporarily for areas being
    reforested) and wildfire risk (in wildfire-prone areas) is minimized by strategically placed narrow firebreaks and wider fuel breaks (which may include roads, streams, riparian areas, and other areas managed to slow fire spread).

Other Land:

These areas are within the bounds of your operation. They include incidental areas that are not in agricultural production, or developed areas on the farm or ranch such as farm headquarters, ranch sites, barnyards, feedlots, manure storage facilities, machinery storage areas, and material handling facilities. All these areas must meet the following condition for stewardship eligibility to be met.

  • Other lands do not have readily observable erosion or point sources of contamination such as gullies, manure runoff or pesticide runoff.

< Back to CSP