Governors Ask USDA For Suspension of CRP Grazing Restrictions Because of Wild Fires

The governors from four states affected by wildifres are seeking temporary suspension of grazing restrictions in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for farmers and ranchers because of wildfires. The governors of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico sent a letter Friday to acting Secretary of Agriculture Mike Young asking that restrictions to the CRP be lifted to provide more land for grazing. The fires have burned more than 2,300 square miles in the four states, forcing farmers and ranchers to move their livestock. “These fires have also devastated critical infrastructure, including fencing, on farms and ranches in our states,” the governors wrote. “The Emergency Conservation Program provides critical financial resources to affected farmers and ranchers to rebuild fences. We urge the Farm Service Agency to expedite the implementation of the Emergency Conservation program in our states.”...more