Dire Dispatches from Texas

Emergency Provision

In response to drought conditions, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) authorized emergency grazing to 79 counties approved to graze CRP acres and 76 counties approved to hay CRP acres. "Eligible producers who are interested in emergency grazing or haying of CRP must request approval before grazing or haying eligible acreage," said Juan M. Garcia, Texas FSA state executive director. "Producers must also obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service that includes grazing and haying requirements," he said.

To take advantage of the emergency grazing and haying 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. 

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 (NRCS) to include grazing requirements, leave at least 25% of each field or contiguous CRP field ungrazed for wildlife, or graze not more than 75% of the stocking rate as determined by NRCS.