Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Emergency Haying and Grazing

This program contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits.

Emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disaster. Emergency haying and grazing status is reviewed and authorized each Thursday using the U.S. Drought monitor. Counties are approved for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions on a county by county basis, when a county is designated as level “D2 Drought - Severe” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The U.S. Drought Monitor is available online at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

Requests for emergency haying and grazing for a county may also be initiated by the FSA County Committee due to a livestock emergency. The request must document a 40 percent or greater loss of forage production due to the disaster event.

Eligibility

Emergency haying or grazing is limited to the acres physically located within the boundary of the eligible county or portion of a county. Under this authority, acres will only be authorized for a specified time and may end earlier than announced if conditions improve.

Producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of their CRP acreage. For emergency haying, producers are limited to one cutting and are permitted to sell the hay.

Emergency haying and grazing is authorized on all practices outside the primary nesting season including practices implemented under State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) such as CP38E SAFE-Grass when such activity is specifically authorized in the SAFE agreement.

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