Early release of CRP acres for grazing in 10 Illinois counties

[July 25, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- In response to recent extreme temperatures and drought that have affected forage acres, USDA's Farm Service Agency authorized emergency grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program acres in 10 Illinois counties effective yesterday (July 24).

Emergency grazing of land enrolled in CRP has been authorized for Adams, Brown, Cass, Greene, Hancock, McDonough, Mason, Menard, Pike and Schuyler counties.

According to Scherrie Giamanco, state executive director of Illinois FSA, this authorization permits emergency grazing only in these counties. No haying of CRP acres is allowed at this time. Additionally, there will be a 10 percent CRP payment reduction for grazing CRP acres under these emergency provisions.

"Producers who are struggling to find forage acres for their livestock should take advantage of this opportunity," said Giamanco.

Emergency CRP grazing authority is limited to livestock producers who have suffered pasture losses due to the ongoing drought conditions in these 10 counties. To take advantage of the emergency provisions, eligible producers may move livestock across county lines from one approved emergency use county to another approved emergency use county.

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 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 county FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

[Text from file received from Illinois Farm Service Agency]