Additional Counties Approved For Emegency Haying

Adrian J. Polansky, State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas announced today that emergency haying of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage has been approved for Finney, Grant, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Stanton, and Stevens counties.

Counties previously approved for CRP emergency haying include: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Gray, Ford, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, and Stafford counties.

Counties previously approved for CRP emergency grazing include: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Rush, Scott, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Trego, Wallace and Wichita.

Emergency grazing in approved counties is allowed through September 30, 2011. Participants shall leave at least 25 percent of each field or contiguous CRP fields ungrazed for wildlife, or graze not more than 75 percent of the stocking rate. All livestock must be removed by the end of this grazing period.

Emergency haying in approved counties is allowed through August 31, 2011. Participants must leave at least 50 percent of each field or contiguous fields unhayed for wildlife. Hay must be removed from the field within 30 days from end of the haying period. Haying was not allowed prior to July 16, 2011, following the end of the nesting season.

Emergency haying and grazing is not allowed on the same acreage, and any other approved CRP haying or grazing is not allowed on the same acreage.

CRP participants in approved counties shall contact the local FSA county office to request emergency haying or grazing on an individual contract basis prior to haying or grazing. Participants will work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a forage management plan. If the CRP cover is destroyed, the practice must be re-established at their own expense to remain in compliance with the CRP contract.

Participants must also accept a 25 percent reduction in the annual rental payment for the acres actually hayed or grazed.
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