06-29-12 *BREAKING AG NEWS* USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing of CRP Acres for 8 Counties in Colorado...

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(DENVER, COLORADO) – June 29, 2012 - USDA Colorado Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, Trudy Kareus, today announced that 8 counties are currently authorized for emergency grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for fiscal year (FY) 2012.

The following counties are approved for CRP emergency grazing: Kiowa, Kit Carson, Logan, Phillips, Weld, Yuma, Moffat  and Routt. According to SED Kareus, there will be additional counties added to this list in the coming days as they are reviewed and approved. The CRP emergency grazing authorization for FY 2012 is effective immediately and ends on September 30, 2012.

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 and obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to include grazing requirements.

Additionally, there will be a 25 percent CRP payment reduction for CRP acres used for grazing under these emergency provisions.

To take advantage of the emergency grazing provisions, authorized producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. The eligible CRP acreage is limited to acres located within the approved county.

For more information and to request approval for emergency grazing of CRP acres contact your local FSA office.

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