IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• May 4 - May 29 GRASSLANDS CRP SIGNUP #208 
• AUGUST 12, 2026- SDRP - Supplemental Disaster Relief Program – Stage 1 and Stage 2 – application. NEW DATE – PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTENDED
• July 15, 2026 - Spring acreage reporting deadline. VISIT Farmers.gov for more information regarding deadlines and programs available through FSA and NRCS.
• CRP PRIMARY NESTING SEASON – March 15 – July 15. No grazing or contract management activities authorized. Grassland CRP contracts are exempt.

Colorado Producers can Donate CRP Haying and Grazing Acres to Wildfire-Impacted Producers in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas

To increase access to forage for wildfire-impacted producers, FSA recently authorized emergency use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres authorizing all counties in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming to donate grazing rights or haying authority to livestock producers affected by the wildfires.

Emergency haying and grazing is available until the beginning of the 2027 primary nesting season (PNS). There are restrictions on activity during the season. The PNS date varies by state and is listed below.

• Arizona: April 1 through July 1
• Arkansas: April 1 through July 15
• Colorado: March 15 through July 15
• Iowa: May 15 through Aug. 1
• Kansas: April 15 through July 15
• Louisiana: April 15 through July 15
• Minnesota:
• North Half: June 1 through Aug. 1
• South Half: May 15 through Aug. 1
• Missouri: May 1 through July 15
• Nebraska: May 1 through July 15
• New Mexico: March 1 through July 1
• Oklahoma: May 1 through July 1
• South Dakota: May 1 through Aug. 1
• Texas:
• Grazing: March 1 through June 1
• Haying: March 1 through July 1
• Wyoming: May 15 through July 15

If the primary nesting season has already started in your state, CRP participants can continue to donate emergency grazing authority to livestock producers in need during this period in counties eligible for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) due to drought.

Outside of the primary nesting season, emergency and non-emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by natural disasters.

FSA also offers non-emergency use provisions for CRP acres as an option during the primary nesting season in Colorado.

Producers should contact their local FSA office to determine eligibility, availability and stocking rates or to donate emergency haying and grazing rights to producers in need of forage access.

GRASSLANDS CRP SIGNUP

Grassland CRP signup 208 will be held from May 4, 2026, through May 29, 2026. Eligible land may be offered for enrollment during grassland CRP signup 208. In addition, CRP participants with an eligible CRP contract expiring September 30, 2026, may submit an offer for land enrolled under that contract, and, if accepted and approved, will have a grassland CRP contract beginning on October 1, 2026.

For grassland CRP signup 208, FSA will use the grassland CRP ranking factors to rank eligible offers for selection.

The rental rates for SU 208 are as follows:

• Kiowa - $10.00 per acre
• Cheyenne - $13.00 per acre
• Prowers - $11.00 per acre
• Lincoln - $10.00 per acre
• Crowley - $8.00 per acre
• Bent - $9.00 per acre

Rental rates are determined by the physical location of the land.

The 5 factors are –

At least 50 percent of more the land must be located within the map area for F3, F4, and F5 factors to apply. Points listed are the maximum points awarded, points can vary.

• F1 - Current and future use
  • F1a - 20 points for expiring CRP
  • F1b – 10 points for expiring CRP practice
• F3 – Maximizing Grassland Preservation
  • F3a - risk of conversion 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 points
  • F3b - national threat of conversion – 20 points
  • F3c – 15-year contract offered - 5 points
• F4 – Vegetation Cover – permanent native grasses, forbs, or legumes
  • Monoculture stand – 5 points
  • Existing stand of at least 2 native grass species- 20 points
  • Existing stand of at least 3 native grasses - 30 points
• F5 – Environmental Factors
  • F5a - current CRP wildlife zone – 15 points
  • F5b - State Grassland CRP zone - 15 points
  • F5c- Grassland CRP National Priority Zones
• F6 - Small Scale Livestock Initiative
• F7 – Cost - maximum of 25 points
  • F7a - maximum rental rate is less than $15.00
  • F7b – maximum rental rate voluntarily reduced

Ineligible Land

Ineligible land includes land:

• currently enrolled in an active EQIP contract
• with greater than 5 percent canopy tree cover
• under water
• not already established to a permanent cover.

To submit an offer, producers need to contact the administrative county for FSA programs. The land must have been owned for at least one year by the end of signup.

If a producer purchased land on May 29, 2025 or after the land is not eligible for signup. The land does not have to be hayed or grazed, it can be managed as a wildlife habitat.

When an eligible producer submits and offer, the offer is then ranked by the National Office and FSA will notify the producer of acceptance or rejection once the ranking is complete. For accepted offers, if the producer determines to continue with the offer, the offer will be sent to NRCS for conservation planning. NRCS will work with the producer to develop a grazing, haying or wildlife plan