USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing and Haying of Conservation Reserve Program Acres for Illinois Counties

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, July 27, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Scott Halpin announced today that 89 counties are authorized for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for fiscal year 2023.  FSA’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

Beginning August 2, 2023, Adams; Alexander; Bond; Boone; Brown; Bureau; Calhoun; Carroll; Cass; Champaign; Christian; Clark; Clinton; Coles; Cook; Crawford; Cumberland; Dewitt; Dekalb; Douglas; DuPage; Edgar; Effingham; Ford; Franklin; Fulton; Greene; Grundy; Hancock; Hardin; Henderson; Henry; Iroquois; Jackson; Jasper; Jefferson; Jersey; JoDaviess; Johnson; Kane; Kankakee; Kendall; Knox; LaSalle; Lake; Lee; Livingston; Logan; Macon; Madison; Marion; Marshall; Mason; Massac; McDonough; McHenry; McLean; Menard; Mercer; Monroe; Morgan; Moultrie; Ogle; Peoria; Perry; Piatt; Pike; Pope; Pulaski; Putnam; Randolph; Rock Island; St. Clair; Sangamon; Schuyler; Scott; Shelby; Stark; Stephenson; Tazewell; Union; Vermilion; Warren; Washington; Whiteside; Will; Williamson; Winnebago and Woodford counties will be eligible for emergency haying and grazing.  The emergency grazing period will begin on August 2, 2023 and end on September 30, 2023.  The emergency haying authorization for these counties will begin on August 2, 2023and end on September 30, 2023.

Counties become eligible for CRP emergency haying and grazing when they reach the D2 (severe drought) level on the U.S. Drought Monitor for at least one week and are outside of the primary nesting season (April 15th through August 1st.)  Additionally, the 2018 farm bill authorized counties with a documented 40-percent loss of forage production to be eligible for emergency grazing and haying.  Local FSA County Committees can review forage loss data and make a recommendation to the Illinois FSA State Committee to authorize emergency haying and grazing outside the primary nesting season.

Eligible producers who are interested in emergency haying and grazing CRP acres must request approval before haying and grazing eligible acreage and must obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that includes haying and grazing provisions.  

All practices for emergency haying and grazing are eligible except CP38 (SAFE) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement (CREP) acres.  There will be no CRP annual rental payment reduction for 2023 emergency haying and grazing authorizations.

To take advantage of the emergency haying or grazing provisions, authorized producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage.  Participants are limited to one hay cutting and are permitted to sell the hay.  

In counties that are authorized for emergency haying and grazing, producers are reminded that the same CRP acreage cannot be both hayed and/or grazed at the same time.  The eligible CRP acreage is limited to acres located within the approved county.

For more information and to request approval for emergency haying and grazing use of CRP acres, contact your local county FSA office; Adams county FSA office at 217/224-9307; Alexander county FSA office at   618/747-05; Bond county FSA office at 618/664-3590; Boone county FSA office at 815/544-3465; Brown county FSA office at 217/773-3993; Bureau county FSA office at 815/875-8732; Calhoun county office at   618-576-2717; Carroll county FSA office at 815/244-8732; Cass county FSA office at 217/452-7781; Champaign county FSA office at 217/352-3536; Christian county FSA office at 217/824-2123; Clark county FSA office at 217/382-4123; Clinton county FSA office at 618/526-7815; Coles county FSA office at 217-345-2901; Cook county FSA office at 815/485-0068; Crawford county FSA office at 618/544-7517; Cumberland county FSA office at 217/849-2201; Dewitt county FSA office at 217/935-2181; Dekalb county FSA office at 815/756-3234; Douglas county at 217/253-3340; DuPage county FSA office at 630/584-7960; Edgar county FSA office at 217/465-5325; Effingham county FSA office at 217/347-7107; Ford county FSA office at 217/379-4388; Franklin county FSA office at 618-438-4021; Fulton county FSA office at 309/547-2233; Greene county FSA office at 217-942-5402; Grundy county FSA office at 815/942-0359; Hancock county FSA office at 217/357-2188; Hardin County FSA office at 618/272-4521; Henderson county FSA office at 309/924-1173; Henry county FSA office at 309/937-3377; Iroquois county FSA office at 815/432-3946; Jackson county FSA office at 618/684-3471; Jasper county FSA office at  618/783-2319; Jefferson county FSA office at 618-244-0773; Jersey county FSA office at 618-498-6836; JoDaviess county FSA office at 815/858-3418; Johnson county FSA office at 618/658-3411; Kane county FSA office at 630/584-7960; Kankakee county FSA office at 815/937-8940; Kendall county FSA office at 630-553-582; Knox county FSA office at 309-342-5138; LaSalle county FSA office at 815-433-0593; Lake county FSA office at 815-338-0444; Lee county FSA office at 815-857-3621; Livingston county FSA office at 815-844-6120; Logan county FSA office at 217-735-5502; Macon county FSA office at 217-877-5670; Madison county FSA office at 618/656-7300; Marion county FSA office at 618-548-2230; Marshall county FSA office at 309/364-3913; Mason county FSA office at 309-543-2582; Massac county FSA office at 618/658-3411; McDonough county FSA office at 309/833-1711; McHenry county FSA office at 815/338-0444; McLean county FSA office at 309/452-3848; Menard county FSA office at 217/632-2431; Mercer county FSA office at 309/582-5153; Monroe county FSA office at 618/939-6181; Morgan county FSA office at 217/243-1535; Moultrie county FSA office at 217/728-8813; Ogle county FSA office at 815-732-6127; Peoria county FSA office at 309-617-7040; Perry county FSA office at 618/357-6016; Piatt county FSA office at 217/762-2571; Pike county FSA office at 217/285-5448; Pope county FSA office at 618/658-3411; Pulaski county FSA office at 618/747-2305; Putnam county FSA office at 309/364-3913; Randolph county FSA office at 618/443-4381; Rock Island county FSA office at 309/764-1486; St. Clair county FSA office at 618/235-2500;Sangamon county FSA office at 217/241-6635; Schuyler county FSA office at 217/322-3358; Scott county FSA office at 217/742-9561; Shelby county FSA office at 217/774-5561; Stark county FSA office at 309/286-2261; Stephenson county FSA office at 815/235-2141; Tazewell county FSA office at 309/346-4462; Union county FSA office at 618/833-5666; Vermilion county FSA office at 217/442-8511; Warren county FSA office at 309/734-9308; Washington county FSA office at 618-327-8862; Whiteside county FSA office at 815/772-2124; Will county FSA office at 815/485-0068; Williamson county FSA office at 618-993-5396; Winnebago county FSA office at 815/965-2392; and Woodford county FSA office at 309/467-2308.