Being a good steward of the land means taking care of it now and into the future. A sustainable and healthy agricultural operation can also demonstrate healthy soils, plants and wildlife habitats. In Northwest Colorado, healthy, native rangeland can encompass diverse, native plant communities that provide high-quality forage for grazing and habitat for wildlife.

No one knows more about your land than you do, and no one knows more about conservation than the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Together, we can develop a conservation plan tailored to your operation and goals to help you increase productivity and protect the value of your land.

The Conservation Stewardship Program allows agricultural producers to enhance wildlife habitat while adopting conservation activities that can reduce energy use, improve soil health and improve water quality. CSP can help you plan and implement conservation practices and enhancements that address natural resource concerns on your operation.

CSP helps you build on your conservation efforts while strengthening your agricultural operation. Whether you want to improve forage quality, suppress weeds, determine a seed selection for grass planting, install wildlife-friendly fencing or develop wildlife habitat, we can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals. We can help you schedule timely planting of cover crops, build pollinator habitats, or manage riparian areas in a way that benefits wildlife habitat. If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals. CSP contracts are for five years, with the option to renew for another five years.

Many enhancements are available for landowners and producers for livestock production, to benefit wildlife, or to improve soil health. Examples of enhancement options available include:

● Cover crops to improve soil health and productivity

● Buffers to enhance water quality

● Wildlife-friendly fencing

● Planting trees and plants for wildlife food and cover

● Establishing wildlife corridors

● Water management activities to improve water efficiency or to benefit wildlife

NRCS provides free technical assistance to agricultural producers. To participate in CSP and receive financial assistance, producers must control or own the land, comply with highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements, and have current farm records with the USDA Farm Service Agency.

NRCS is a federal agency in the USDA. A primary mission of the NRCS is to work with private landowners to develop conservation plans. This voluntary service is provided free of charge by NRCS to assist landowners in ensuring sustainable agriculture and food production in the United States.

Requesting help developing a conservation plan is always voluntary and could help you acquire funding to implement the practices in the plan. If you are interested in learning more about CSP for your operation, please get in touch with the NRCS office in Steamboat Springs at 970-439-3261.

Erin Gelling is a rangeland management specialist with the Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.