ARS | Publication request: PRODUCER PERSPECTIVES ON THE CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM IN ALABAMA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 8, 2005
Publication Date: August 8, 2005
Citation: Bergtold, J.S., Molnar, J.J., Tallant, M.L., Brant, G. 2005. Producer perspectives on the conservation security program in alabama [abstract]. 2005 Annual Rural Sociological Society Meeting, August 8-12, 2005, Tampa, Florida.

Technical Abstract: The Conservation Security Program (CSP), the latest U.S. conservation program introduced by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2004, provides an innovative mechanism for rewarding farmers for conservation efforts and environmental stewardship on their lands. The program was implemented in the Wheeler Lake watershed in Northern Alabama in 2005. This paper summarizes insights gained from focused group interviews with three sets of crop and animal producers in Alabama giving insight into their experiences, problems, and concerns about conservation and the CSP. We were concerned with perceptions of the need for technical support, program information, and the burdens of program application, with a particular focus on the Conservation Security Program. The groups interviewed were selected to represent watersheds in the northern, central, and southern regions of Alabama, in order to determine the different issues facing each region of the State.