07/24/08

A federal judge has eased the concerns of farms
and ranchers around the country by allowing an emergency haying and
grazing program to go forward.

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour decided Thursday that
while the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not conduct an
appropriate environmental review before opening 24 million acres of
private conservation land to haying and grazing, it would be unfair
to farmers and ranchers to stop the program.

The emergency program was announced in May to provide farmers
relief from rising grain and food prices. Applications have been
filled out to use 1.7 million of the 24 million eligible acres.

The judge says those applications will be processed and that
anyone who has invested $4,500 or more to use the program will also
have their applications approved.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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