The Department of Agriculture this week encouraged farmers to sign up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP), a Natural Resource Conservation Service program that supports ongoing stewardship of private, agricultural working lands and financially rewards those producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management.

Interested parties have until May 27 to enroll in the program.

Agricultural land located within the boundaries of the Lower Susquehanna- Swatara, Schuylkill, Chester-Sassafras, and Raystown watersheds are eligible for the 2005 CSP program.

The following counties are involved in the watersheds: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cambria, Carbon, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Somerset and York.

Farmers in these watersheds must apply for the program and are assessed according to specific criteria and an interview.

For application information and detailed eligibility requirements, visit the Conservation Security Program webpage.

4/8/2005