U.S. Congressman Sam Graves called the release of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for haying in Presidential Disaster areas critical to farmers and ranchers. Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, DeKalb, Gentry, Harrison, Holt, Nodaway, Schuyler, and Worth counties are now eligible to release certain CRP lands.
CRP participants must write their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, obtain a modified conservation plan and receive county office approval before beginning to hay.
"The release of CRP lands is critical to our farmers and ranchers who have been affected by the flooding," Graves said. "While I am disappointed with the court's decision to disregard federal agriculture policy and change the Critical Feed Use Program, I am happy to see that those in areas affected by flooding will get relief."
On July 8th, 2008 the National Wildlife Refuge sued the USDA to stop the Critical Feed Use program. As a result of the lawsuit, applicants for the Critical Feed Use initiative (CFU) who had applied and been approved for participation on or before entry of the initial temporary restraining order (TRO) on July 8, 2008, are grandfathered and may participate in the CFU as the program was announced. Those who have applied but have not been approved before July 8, 2008 but have been or will be approved for participation will be permitted to participate but must end haying activity by September 30 and grazing activity by October 15.
Graves is a co-sponsor of H.R. 6533 which reinstates the CFU program to its original intent and makes more than 24 million acres of CRP land eligible to be released for haying and grazing.
"Elected officials, not the courts should be making our agricultural policy," Graves said. "These lands were made eligible, in a responsible way, to help farmers deal with the rising price of feed. I will continue to fight for policies that help our farmers and ranchers."
H.R. 6533 has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
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