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USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing Options

published: May 20th 2011
source: Independent Cattlemen’s Association

In response to drought conditions as well as recent wildfires that destroyed forage acres, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) authorized emergency grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in 27 Texas counties effective May 12, 2011.

Emergency grazing of land enrolled in CRP has been authorized for Armstrong, Borden, Carson, Castro, Collingsworth, Crosby, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Fisher, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hansford, Haskell, Kent, Knox, Lipscomb, Lynn, Nolan, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Scurry, Sherman, Stonewall, Swisher and Wilbarger Counties.

According to USDA Texas Farm Service Agency Executive Director Juan M. Garcia, the current CRP emergency use authorization permits grazing only. No haying of CRP acres is allowed at this time. Additionally there will be a 25 percent CRP payment reduction for CRP acres used for grazing under these emergency provisions.

"Producers who are struggling to find forage acres for their livestock may take advantage of this opportunity," said Garcia. "Livestock producers can temporarily move their animals to land enrolled in CRP for up to 90 days beginning immediately after authorization is approved," he said.

Emergency CRP grazing authority is not limited to livestock producers who lost pasture or fences due to wildfire. To take advantage of the authorized emergency provisions, authorized producers may use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer the use of the CRP acreage. The eligible CRP acreage is limited to the acreage within the approved counties.

Eligible producers who are interested in grazing CRP under the emergency authorization and current CRP participants who choose to provide land for grazing to an eligible livestock producer, must first request approval to graze eligible acreage; obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to include grazing requirements, leave at least 25 percent of each field or contiguous CRP field ungrazed for wildlife, or graze not more than 75 percent of the stocking rate as determined by NRCS.

For more information on and eligibility requirements for USDA disaster assistance, contact your local FSA office.