Update to Emergency Grazing & Haying Policies

WASHINGTON – Historically, emergency Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grazing and haying requests could only be considered after state and national emergency declarations. However, the emergency CRP practice has been modified since South Dakota last experienced severe drought conditions.

Today, counties are authorized to approve CRP emergency haying and grazing applications outside of the Primary Nesting Season (PNS) of May 1 – August 1 on all practices when any part of the county is in a D2 condition based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The current drought monitor for counties in South Dakota can be found HERE.

Emergency grazing during the PNS is allowed only when all of the following are met:

• payments are authorized for the county under LFP (D2 for 8 weeks, D3, or D4)

• less than 50 percent of the normal carrying capacity is maintained

• the participants conservation plan is modified to incorporate the 50 percent of normal carrying capacity, and approved prior to grazing.

In these instances, producers in the declared/affected counties and contiguous counties may file a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Services with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Office to request emergency grazing or haying.

Furthermore, FSA may have resources to assist with inadequate water supply for grazing locations.

For more information, contact your FSA County office or read additional materials on FSA’s website HERE.

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