MANHATTAN – Adrian J. Polansky, state executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Kansas announced this week that emergency haying of Conservation Reserve Program acreage has been approved for Elk, Ellsworth, Greenwood, Scott, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson counties; and CRP emergency grazing has been approved for Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Elk, Greely, Greenwood, Labette, Lyon, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson counties. 
“We are extremely concerned how the intensifying and expanding drought conditions are impacting livestock producers,” said Polansky. “FSA is authorizing CRP haying and grazing options to provide assistance to mitigate the severity of drought losses and rising feed costs for Kansas livestock producers.”
 Counties previously approved for CRP emergency haying include: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, and Trego, Wichita. Emergency haying in approved counties is allowed through August 31, 2011. Participants must leave at least 50 percent of each field or contiguous fields unhayed for wildlife. Hay must be removed from the field within 30 days from end of the haying period. Hay cannot be sold. Producers without livestock may rent or lease the haying privileges.
 Counties previously approved for CRP emergency grazing include: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Logan, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Rush, Scott, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Trego, Wallace, and Wichita. Emergency grazing in approved counties is allowed through September 30, 2011. Participants shall leave at least 25 percent of each field or contiguous CRP fields ungrazed for wildlife, or graze not more than 75 percent of the stocking rate. All livestock must be removed by the end of this grazing period. Producers without livestock may rent or lease the grazing privileges.
 Requests for county approval of CRP emergency haying or grazing must be submitted by the FSA County Committee for consideration. The FSA State Committee may approve requests when there is evidence that the County is designated as level “D2 Drought-Severe” for emergency grazing and “D3 Drought-Extreme” for emergency haying according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. If not a level D3 or D4, then the FSA County Committee must submit evidence to the FSA Deputy Administrator of Farm Programs that indicates the county is suffering from a 40 percent or greater loss in normal hay and pasture production and 40 percent or greater loss of normal precipitation for the 4 most recent months. Emergency haying and grazing is not allowed on the same acreage, and any other approved CRP haying or grazing is not allowed on the same acreage. Practices eligible are CP-1, Establishment of Permanent Introduced Grasses & Legumes, CP-2, Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses, CP4B, Permanent Wildlife Habitat (Corridors), Noneasement, CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat Noneasement, CP10, Vegetative Cover-Grass Already Established, CP18B, Establishment of Permanent Vegetative Cover (Contour Grass Strips), Noneasement, CP18C, Establishment of Permanent Salt Tolerant Vegetative Cover, Noneasement, CP38E, SAFE.
 Kansas has been authorized to allow CRP emergency grazing on practice CP-25, Rare and Declining Habitat. Emergency haying and managed haying and grazing is not authorized on CP-25.
 Managed harvesting (haying) or grazing is allowed by CRP participants that requested the activity in their Conservation Plan of Operations or update the plan to include the activity. Acreage is not eligible until 12 months after the cover is fully established. CRP contacts approved on or after March 9, 2010 can hay or graze no more than 1 out of every 3 years. There are other frequency categories based on when your CRP contact was approved. Managed haying is permitted from July 16 through August 15 on 50 percent of each field. Hay must be removed from the field by September 15. Producers who do not own or lease livestock, may harvest hay for sale to a livestock producer or sell the hay for biomass. Managed grazing is permitted from July 16 through September 30, not to exceed 77 consecutive days or as otherwise limited by forage conditions, stocking rates, etc as listed in the forage management plan. Producers who do not own or lease livestock, may rent or lease the grazing privilege.
 CRP participants shall contact the local FSA county office to request emergency haying or grazing on an individual contract basis prior to haying or grazing. Participants shall work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a forage management plan. If the CRP cover is destroyed, the practice must be re-established at their own expense to remain in compliance with the CRP contract.
 CRP participants in counties not approved for emergency haying or grazing should periodically contact their FSA county office as additional counties are approved on a daily basis.
 Participants accept a 25 percent reduction in the annual rental payment for the acres actually hayed or grazed. CRP haying and grazing policies will be posted on-line at www.fsa.usda.gov/ks.