06/28/06 Important CRP deadline Friday

Washington Ag June 28, 2006 This Friday, June 30th, is an important deadline for some participants in the Conservation Reserve Program. Hamilton: "Those people with contracts expiring in 2008, 09, or 10, have until Friday to tell us if they want to accept the offer for an extension on that contract and to pay an inspection fee." That's Rod Hamilton of the state Farm Service Agency office, who says this deadline applies to just under four-thousand contracts covering up to 900-thousand acres in Washington. Participants previously received re-enrollment or extension offers based on the Environmental Benefits Index Score at the time the land was initially enrolled in CRP. Hamilton says they have heard from most contract holders, but; Hamilton: "Our counties do have some concerns in a couple of cases where they have not heard back from people. Or maybe they have the information, asked questions but haven't come in and given us their final answer and paid their fee. And that does have to be done by this Friday. We don't anticipate any extension of that deadline." Which again, is Friday, June 30th. I'm Bob Hoff.