Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $150 million in funding is available for agricultural producers through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Penn State Cooperative Extension works closely together with other partners in the public and private sector to help restore the Chesapeake Bay to its former glory by researching, educating and promoting Best Management Practices to control erosion, nutrient losses and pesticide losses.

The USDA's NRCS plans to put more technical staff in the field to help farmers implement voluntary conservation practices that reduce nutrient runoff and protect the environment.

A new USDA study shows that farmers using combinations of erosion-control and nutrient-management practices on cultivated cropland are reducing losses of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous from farm fields and decreasing the movement of these materials to the Great Lakes and their associated waterways.