Grass cover on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres may not be clipped or mowed at this time.
This CRP non-disturbance period occurs annually to provide habitat for nesting wildlife. The non-disturbance period or primary nesting period, as it is sometimes called, starts April 1 each year and ends Aug. 15. During this period, no maintenance activities can occur on CRP
The reason is simple. Wildlife biologists have determined that this is the primary nesting period of many native birds and other wildlife. This time is required for young wildlife to develop without any interference from humans in the form of mowing or clipping grass cover or any forestry management practices like harvesting select timber on pine tree stands (thinning). While thinning of pines is a good practice for wildlife in the end, it is not permitted during this time of summer.
Basically, all maintenance activities like control burns and chemical spraying to control understory growth in pine stands, any thinning activities on hardwoods and pines and clipping or bush hogging of CRP is out until Aug. 15.
All CRP participants with grass cover may begin clipping or maintaining CRP acres after Aug. 15.
As we near the end of the government’s fiscal year, Sept. 30, it is imperative that changes in ownership of CRP during FY 2023 be reported to the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Contract revisions with the new owners assuming interest in the CRP contract is the only way to ensure that the 2023 CRP annual rental payments are made to the correct and current owner of the CRP contract acres. We stress this year after year, and, inevitably, there will sale of land involving CRP aces that no one has reported to FSA prior to the deadline.
FY 2023 runs from Oct. 1, 2022, until Sept. 30, 2023.
CRP annual rental payments are disbursed in October of each fiscal year, in the rears. If you have purchased land with CRP contract acres on it, you should contact the Tallahatchie County FSA office ASAP. If you do not contact our FSA office, there is no guarantee that the 2023 CRP annual rental payments will be disbursed to the current owner.
