By Mike Zook, County Executive Director, FSA
CRP has been released for emergency grazing in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau, Fergus, Phillips, Stillwater, McCone, Carbon and Petroleum Counties. This authorization is only authorized through Sept. 30. Emergency haying was requested, but is not authorized.
Only livestock from the affected counties may be grazed; if you are from an approved county, you may graze the CRP in another approved county i.e., Hill County producers can find CRP to graze in the adjoining counties.
Grazing is only allowed on CP-1, CP-2,CP-4D, CP-10, CP-12, and CP-23. It is NOT allowed on CP-25, Rare and Declining Species. A more complete list of the allowed and disallowed practices for grazing are available at the county office.
The per acre payment will be reduced by 25 percent on the grazed acreage. Only 75 percent of a CRP field may be grazed, or only 75 percent of the calculated AUM's on it may be grazed. This amount applies to all acreage grazed, regardless of how long it is grazed.
Before any cattle can be moved on to CRP, the following steps must be taken;
All contract holders must complete the required documents authorizing the payment reduction, or the operator may sign them and pay the reduction in advance.
You may lease your CRP grazing to livestock producers from an approved county, but they must sign an agreement that they will not sublease the acreage. The contract holder must inform the county office of the producer's name, identify the acreage on aerial photography, and will remain liable for compliance on all provisions.
Advance payments will only be accepted from the contract holder.
A grazing plan must be completed with the NRCS.
You cannot start grazing until you have received a letter of authorization from FSA.
Upon completing the grazing, you must complete the forms certifying what grazing was actually done.
Failure to abide by the regulations will make the contract subject to the noncompliance provisions.
If the cover is damaged, it must be reestablished at the contractholder's expense. Water and fencing may be established at the CRP participant's expense.
