USDA to allow emergency grazing after western wildfire
The president reportedly authorized the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to direct the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to permit the emergency grazing.
The opened lands are part of the Conservation Reserve Program and are located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
The lands may now be used for grazing through December, said Michael Young, USDA acting deputy secretary, in a memo. The permission applies to cattle ranchers who are “facing the ruination of their herds” from damaged grazing land.
“Ranchers are facing devastating conditions and economic calamity because of these wildfires and they need some relief, or else they face the total loss of their herds in many cases,” he said. “These measures will allow them to salvage what remains of their cattle."
The multi-step process was needed to allow use of the lands for grazing because they are part of a conservation area focused on protecting and improving wildlife resources.
Wildfire damage
In Kansas, around 630,000 acres are said to have been damaged, primarily pastureland, and a large volume of hay and feed were also destroyed, said the US agency. Between 3,000 and 9,000 head of cattle were killed in the fires or after and the estimated cost of fencing destroyed is more than $36m.
In Oklahoma, about 389,533 acres burned and there is an estimated loss of 3,000 head of cattle. Structural loss is expected to be in and around $2m with about $22m of damage to destroyed fencing.
Damage in fencing in Texas has yet to be surveyed, but about 550,000 acres are estimated to have burned. About 346 farms and ranches were affected by the fire with an estimated livestock loss of 3,000 cattle and 1,900 swine.
