Farmers and ranchers in sections of Texas and Oklahoma hit by wildfires will be allowed to harvest grass from their Conservation Reserve land or graze cattle on the land, the US Agriculture Department said on Tuesday.
Wildfires have burned more than one million acres in the states. USDA said haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve land, normally off-limits to forage use, would help livestock producers feed their stock and reduce fire risks.
There will be no reduction in federal rental payments to landowners who gain permission for the haying and grazing, USDA said.
USDA said its Farm Service Agency offices would grant authority for removal of grass from Conservation Reserve land for the next 30 days.
Livestock producers who lost pasture or fences to wildfire will be given permission to graze cattle for the next 60 days on the land.
Six counties in Oklahoma and 27 counties in north Texas are eligible, USDA said. The Oklahoma counties are Washita, Canadian, Jefferson, Custer, Cleveland and Osage.
In Texas, the eligible counties are Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher and Wheeler.
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