Some CRP Land Opened to Grazing

North Dakota’s agriculture commissioner says the federal government is opening Conservation Reserve Program land to grazing in 26 North Dakota counties to help drought-stricken ranchers.

Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson says the counties are Adams, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Divide, Dunn, Grant, Golden Valley, Hettinger, McHenry, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Pierce, Renville, Rolette, Sheridan, Slope, Stark, Towner, Ward and Williams.

Gov. John Hoeven and the state’s congressional have been pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open the CRP land, which normally is left idle to protect against erosion. Farmers receive payments to plant cover such as grass on the land.

Johnson says ranchers who graze cattle on the CRP land will have their annual payments cut by 25 percent.

– Associated Press

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