USDA Opens More Land for Emergency Haying and Grazing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering more relief for farmers dealing with a drought in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is authorizing the use of additional Conservation Reserve Program lands for emergency grazing and haying. Secretary Perdue is allowing the emergency action during and after the primary nesting season in parts of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota that have reached severe drought level or greater, as classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor. This includes counties with any part of their border located within 150 miles of authorized counties within the three states, and may extend into neighboring states. All emergency grazing must end September 30th, and emergency haying must end August 31st. 82 percent of South Dakota is in a severe, or worse drought, along with 74 percent of North Dakota and 45 percent of Montana.