Following requests from Governor Greg Gianforte, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester, and U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized the use of some Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for emergency haying and grazing.
“With extremely dry conditions persisting across the state, Montana ranchers are in dire need of forage for their herds,” Gov. Gianforte said. “USDA’s decision to allow for emergency haying and grazing on some CRP acres will greatly benefit our farmers and ranchers, and I urge them to go a step further and open up all of Montana’s participating CRP acreage to Montana ag producers.”
Following his disaster declaration on July 1, Gov. Gianforte urged USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to declare all counties throughout the state of Montana as primary natural disaster areas and allow for emergency haying and grazing on all of Montana’s participating CRP acreage.
In the last month, Sens. Daines and Tester and Rep. Rosendale also called on USDA to open CRP for emergency haying and grazing. Sen. Daines and Rep. Rosendale also joined the governor in requesting drought relief for all Montana counties.