Here's the announcement:
Sheridan,Graham, Decatur, Norton, & Gove among other in NW KS are in the area authorized to be hayed or grazed.
No loss or reduction of CRP payment.
Emergency Haying, Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program Acres Available to Help Livestock Producers Weather Drought
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Aug. 23, 2021 – Agricultural producers impacted by drought can now request haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in certain Kansas counties, while still receiving their full rental payment for the land.
“Drought is heavily impacting livestock producers in Kansas and across the country, and emergency haying or grazing of lands enrolled in CRP is one more drought mitigation tool to help producers,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “While CRP makes annual rental payments for land in conservation, under certain circumstances, FSA can allow the haying and grazing of these lands to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters without a reduction in payments. As part of our climate-smart agriculture efforts, we are working with all stakeholder groups to ensure that supplemental benefits of CRP acres, like emergency haying and grazing, can be accessed in a manner that is more universally beneficial.”
Outside of the
primary nesting season, emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disaster. The primary nesting season for Kansas ended July 15. Counties are approved for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions on a county-by-county basis when a county is designated as level “D2 Drought - Severe” according to the
U.S. Drought Monitor. FSA provides a weekly, online update of
eligible counties. Producers interested in Emergency Haying and Grazing on CRP acres should contact FSA to determine if their county is still eligible for emergency authorization. If emergency haying and grazing is still available, producers will need complete a formal request.
Producers can use the CRP acreage under the emergency grazing provisions for their livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage.
Producers interested in emergency haying or grazing of CRP acres must notify their FSA county office before starting any activities. This includes producers accessing CRP acres held by someone else. To maintain contract compliance, producers must have their conservation plan modified by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Emergency CRP Haying and Grazing Option
CRP emergency haying and grazing is available in eligible counties as long as the stand is in condition to support such activity subject to a modified conservation plan. Hay may be cut once in eligible counties each program year (October 1-September 30). Haying must be concluded prior to August 31 according to an approved conservation plan to allow time for regrowth prior to winter conditions and must be removed within 15 calendar days of being baled.
CRP emergency grazing is available in eligible counties as long as it does not exceed 90 days each program year (October 1-September 30) and must be stopped when the minimum grazing height is reached, as established within the modified CRP conservation plan or when the county is no longer eligible for emergency haying and grazing.
Non-Emergency CRP Haying and Grazing Option