USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Wildfire Areas

The Department of Agriculture has authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program lands in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, the three states most heavily impacted by wildfires last month. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Young issued a memo authorizing the emergency grazing of cattle by ranchers, who are facing the loss of their herds due to lack of sufficient grazing land.  Young says the authorization will allow ranchers “to salvage what remains of their cattle and return to the important business of feeding Americans and the rest of the world.” The authorization follows an order by President Donald Trump to release the CRP grounds for grazing. The USDA action is required to direct the Farm Service Agency to permit the grazing on lands covered by CRP. The move was applauded by Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and the National Cattlemen’s Association.