07/10/08 Judge halts use of CRP for critical feed use

Washington Ag July 10, 2008 Details are still sketchy but the Washington State Office of the Farm Service Agency has been told by the national FSA office that a federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order on the use of Conservation Reserve Program land for critical feed use. Rod Hamilton of the state FSA office says the restraining order suspends all critical use haying and grazing on CRP acreage until further notice. Hamilton says that haying and grazing wasn't scheduled to start in Washington until after August 1st, which is the end of the nesting season. But there are producers interested in the program aimed at providing some relief from high and increasing feed prices. Hamilton: "We have had interest in a number of counties but I wouldn't call it overwhelming. Most counties told me when I have talked to them that they have had a handful of producers who have inquired about it or actually come in and signed up." Haying and grazing of CRP land has been the subject of legal action before. The USDA settled a lawsuit brought in 2004 by the National Wildlife Federation and several of its state affiliates challenging the department's managed haying and grazing program, which is different from the critical feed use program but still comes down to haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program land. I'm Bob Hoff.