Grassland Reserve Program 2005

In search of greener pastures

Rotational grazing benefits cattle, grasslands

While the grass may not always be greener on the other side of the fence, a Grassland Reserve Program project in Cleburne County is trying to turn the old adage into reality on the Weldon Harris farm near Pangburn.

“My son, Bryan, who is an agriculture teacher at Paris, Ark., has been preaching to me for years about the benefits of rotational grazing. And now that I have time, I decided to enroll 153.1 acres in the Grassland Reserve Program,” Weldon Harris said.

“LeVonna Uekman (Cleburne County District Conservationist) helped me put the concept into perspective,” Harris said. “She said, ‘if you have a barn full of hay and just open the doors and let the cows in they will trample the hay and waste it. But, if you give them a little at a time it goes farther.’ It works the same way with my pastures.”

Harris, who runs 80-85 cows on his 470 acre commercial cow/calf operation, enrolled three pieces of property into the program -- 60 acres, 53.1 acres and 40 acres. Each will be divided into eight fields with electric fencing.

“By moving the cattle twice a week to a new area, it will increase the amount of grass available,” Uekman said.

“When grass can rest, it can grow better and the cows can’t waste it … they have to eat it down.

“The grazing program will provide grass later into the season and cut down on the amount of hay used each year,” she said.

The project also includes adding five ponds on the property to provide an adequate water system for the grazing areas.

Arkansas GRP Quick Facts for 2005

Overview

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program that helps landowners and operators restore and protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, shrubland, and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. The program emphasizes support for working grazing operations; enhancement of plant and animal biodiversity; and protection of grassland and land containing shrubs and forbs under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other activities that threaten grassland resources.

Benefits

Restoring and protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and improves environmental quality.

How GRP Works

Participants voluntarily limit future use of the land while retaining the right to conduct common grazing practices; produce hay, mow, or harvest for seed production (subject to certain restrictions during the nesting season of bird species that are in significant decline or those that are protected under federal or state law); conduct fire rehabilitation; and construct firebreaks and fences.

GRP contracts and easements prohibit the production of crops (other than hay), fruit trees, and vineyards that require breaking the soil surface and any other activity that would disturb the surface of the land, except for appropriate land management activities included in a conservation plan.

The program offers several enrollment options:

Permanent Easement. This is a conservation easement in perpetuity. Easement payments for this option equal the fair market value, less the grassland value of the land encumbered by the easement. These values will be determined using an appraisal.

Thirty-year Easement. USDA will provide an easement payment equal to 30 percent of the fair market value of the land, less the grassland value of the land of the land encumbered by the easement.

Rental Agreement. Participants may choose a 10-year, 15-year, 20-year, or 30-year contract.

Restoration agreement. A grassland resource management plan identifying required restoration activities will be incorporated within the rental agreement or easement.

Eligibility

Landowners who can provide clear title on privately owned lands are eligible to participate in either easement. Landowners and others who have general control of the acreage may submit an application for a rental agreement.

There is no national maximum limitation on the amount of land that may be offered for the program. However, there is a minimum requirement established in law. Offers for enrollment must contain at least 40 contiguous acres, unless special circumstances exist to accept a lesser amount.

Eligible land includes privately owned and Tribal lands, such as grasslands; land that contains forbs (including improved rangeland and pastureland or shrubland); or land that is located in an area that historically has been dominated by grassland, forbs, or shrubland that has the potential to serve as wildlife habitat of significant ecological value.

For More Information

If you need more information about GRP, contact your local USDA Service Center or your local conservation district. Information is also available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/ and http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/GRP/default1.htm.

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