07/28/08 Smiles all around for CRP ruling

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is satisfied with a federal judge's ruling to allow CRP contract holders with approved haying and grazing applications to resume activity. NCBA's Colin Woodall says those with pending application can proceed and potential applicants can join the critical feed use initiative. WOODALL "I think the producers' story turned the tide." This is a special one-time hay and forage use program on certain CRP land after the primary grass nesting bird season ends. The National Wildlife Federation's Julie Sibbing says it was never their intent to completely stop the critical feed program. SIBBING "USDA loves to paint us as the big bad wolf out there that was trying to stop people who had already gotten permits when that was never our intention." Farm Bureau's Danielle Quist says the door is open to producers who wanted to take advantage of this provision. QUIST "There was approximately four thousand applications that had been approved. I think another two thousand were received. There was actually a document that USDA submitted to the court that showed around 1.57 million acres had been in the application process and as far as acres that were actually approved was about a half million." Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott