| Agri-environmental policy and rural development efforts in the United States do not always seem to operate on common ground, although the United States Department of Agriculture oversees some aspects of both of them. Both efforts target activities taking place in rural communities. The primary aim of this thesis is to see how the Conservation Security Program (CSP) of the 2002 Farm Bill might foster sustainable rural development by using specific strategies. The CSP is compared to France's Contrat Territorial d'Exploitation. Based on the findings of this analysis, tentative guidelines are suggested for implementation of the CSP in South Dakota's Big Sioux River Basin area. |
