USDA has approved emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land in some areas of eastern Idaho.
The emergency designation occurs only when 40% or more of a county’s hay and pasture production is lost.
Approval was given because of crop damage and drought in Bingham, Bonneville, Fremont, Madison and Power counties. Those areas join Cassia, Clark, Franklin and Jefferson counties in Idaho authorized for emergency land use.
Under the approval, haying is only allowed through the end of August. Hay will not be allowed for sale, and half of any field harvested must be left for use by wildlife, according to USDA.
Grazing on CRP acres is allowed through the end of September, but livestock must be removed if the average forage height is grazed to 5” or less.
Other U.S. counties currently under emergency haying and/or grazing designation include:
California: Glenn, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Yolo.
Colorado: Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, El Paso, Huerfanno, Kiowa, Las Animas, Lincoln, Prowers and Pueblo.
Kansas: Barber, Barton, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Cowley, Edwards, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Logan, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rush, Russell, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Wallace and Wichita.
New Mexico: Curry, Quay, Roosevelt and Union.
Oklahoma: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Bryan, Canadian, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, Tillman, Washita, Woods and Woodward.
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