USDA to accept 'green payment' comments to April 3
Date: 27-Mar-03
Country: USA
USDA officials hope to put CSP into operation this fall, possibly in September or October. Created by the 2002 farm law, CSP would pay producers up to $50,000 a year for making land, water and wildlife stewardship part of their daily operations.
Most of the details of CSP have yet to be written. USDA began accepting public comment on Feb. 18 on fundamental questions such as which activities should qualify for payments.
At that point, USDA said it would accept public comments for 30 days on the advance notice of rulemaking on CSP, the first step in writing the rules for the program. Another round of public review usually is allowed when operating rules are proposed.
"This extension (to April 3) will give the public and interested organizations more time to comment on key issues that have been raised regarding implementation of the program," NRCS Chief Bruce Knight said in a statement. He said public comment was essential to crafting "the best program possible."
Likely cost of CSP was estimated at $7 billion or more if USDA were obliged to send a payment to every eligible farmer.
The Bush administration has proposed limiting the program to $2 billion over 10 years, the amount that was estimated when Congress passed the farm law. Lawmakers voted in mid-February to reduce CSP outlays by $3.1 billion to offset the cost of disaster payments to farmers and ranchers for crop and livestock losses in 2001 and 2002.
USDA said comments on CSP can be submitted by e-mail to FarmBillRules@usda.gov or by mail to NRCS Conservation Operations Division, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20250, Attn: Conservation Security Program.