BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven Thursday urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the opening of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to grazing for livestock producers located in the "extreme," D-3 category on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The request comes as the result of a recent recommendation of the Agriculture Working Group of the Drought Task Force.
In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, Hoeven wrote: "While recent rainfall may help alleviate the problem, conversations with ranchers and NDSU agriculture officials indicate that forage supplies have already suffered as a result of the extreme dry conditions experienced earlier in the year. Should these dry conditions continue it will be detrimental to livestock producers in the state.
"I appreciate you authorizing haying and grazing of CRP acres in North Dakota after Au-gust 1. However, because of the extreme conditions, I am requesting these acres be allowed open for grazing earlier."
Little snowfall cover this winter, and low precipitation this spring, in some areas of the state created abnormally dry conditions for producers. Consequently, livestock water sources, including pasture ponds and dugouts, continue to be dry because they were not replenished by spring runoff. This, coupled with dry conditions, high winds and lack of rain-fall in parts of North Dakota have had a detrimental impact pasture hay land conditions.
