The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that 12 Iowa Counties are authorized for emergency haying or grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. 

The 27 counties approved for emergency haying or grazing include: Adair, Adams, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Harrison, Humboldt, Iowa, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lucas, Mahaska, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Wapello, Warren, Washington.

The 12 Iowa Counties restricted under Emergency Haying Criteria Based on Livestock Forage Program triggers are: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Ida, Monona, O’Brien, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Sac, and Woodbury.

Counties are automatically approved for CRP emergency haying and grazing when they reach the D2 (severe drought) level on the U.S. Drought Monitor and are outside of the primary nesting season (May 15th through August 1st). Additionally, counties with a documented 40-percent loss of forage production are eligible for emergency haying and grazing.

A CRP participant must receive approval for emergency haying from their county FSA Office before any action is taken.  The emergency haying authorizations end on August 31, 2022.

A CRP participant must receive approval for emergency grazing from their local FSA office before any action is taken. The emergency grazing period for these counties will end Sept. 30, 2022.

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