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NEWS - Farm Service Agency
Public Affairs Staff
Room 308
200 4th St SW Fed Bldg
Huron, SD 57350
Release No. 2012.14
For immediate release
Contact: Jamie White (605) 352-1181
Public Affairs Specialist
jamie.white@sd.usda.gov
USDA Authorizes Release of Environmentally Sensitive CRP Acres for Emergency Haying and Grazing
HURON, SD, Aug. 2, 2012 — USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Craig Schaunaman, today announced that USDA has authorized the release of additional Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres that are considered to be environmentally sensitive for emergency haying and grazing purposes.
"The inclusion of these acres under the CRP emergency haying and grazing provisions allows livestock producers access to forage on approximately 460,000 CRP acres in South Dakota that are devoted to wetland and farmable wetland practices," said Schaunaman. "USDA, along with Federal, State, and local partners collaborated to support the release of these additional acres in response to livestock feed needs that are prevalent as a result of the wide spread drought conditions across the continental United States," he said.
Emergency haying and grazing of CRP has been authorized for all South Dakota counties. Producers must file an application with their local FSA office prior to conducting any haying or grazing activity. Under CRP emergency haying and grazing provisions, haying and grazing may begin on August 2nd; however, haying may not exceed August 31, 2012, and grazing may not exceed September 30, 2012. Currently there are approximately one million acres of CRP available for emergency haying and grazing in South Dakota.