IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Monday, May 25^th - SERVICE CENTER CLOSED, Memorial Day observance.  
• May 4^th -  May 29^th 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.  

DROUGHT MONITOR

Last week’s drought monitor didn’t have much change for the central portion of the eastern plains.  The D2 – severe drought intensity for Kiowa County remained the same.  There were improvements made to Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Yuma and Washington counties to the D3 – extreme drought intensity they had the week before.  Slight improvements were made to Prowers, Bent and Otero counties.

Be praying for the residents in southern Baca County, as they deal with the devastation from the fires Sunday night.  Also, be praying for moisture. 

ACREAGE REPORTING MAPS 

Katie is getting the spring acreage reporting maps ready for producers to pick up.  Once the maps are ready, the operator will receive an email stating they can stop in the office and pick up the maps.  When operators pick up the maps, there may also be subsequent acre resolution paperwork for farms that have subsequent acres in 2019 – 2023.   There are farms that have been identified as having subsequent acres in one or more of those years.  Subsequent acres are acres that are planted after a crop fails, in Kiowa County, most of the subsequent acres are grain sorghum after a failed wheat crop.  FSA can only count one of the commodities for historical purposes and it will be the decision of the owner(s) to designate which commodity.    

It’s important to remember that this is not a reallocation of existing base acres, like FSA has done in the past.  This is the addition of 30 million base acres to eligible farms across the nation.  If the 30 million is exceeded, then the proration of the acres will be applied.  

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% 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 point
  • 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 an 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.