BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The federal government has approved more help for drought-stricken ranchers in North Dakota.
Sens. John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp and Rep. Kevin Cramer say the Department of Agriculture has authorized emergency haying of drought-impacted land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, starting Sunday.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue late last month opened up CRP land to emergency grazing.
In addition, the USDA is giving producers with FSA loans a 12-month exemption from a requirement that they have physical control of their livestock. That allows ranchers to send livestock to other feedlots to weather the drought.
Last week, Hoeven announced the government was opening up land in the Wetland Restoration Easement program to haying and grazing.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows nearly all of western North Dakota in either severe or extreme drought.
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