Because of the drought, emergency haying and grazing will be allowed on some of the 250,000 acres enrolled in the state's Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program, officials announced Wednesday.
Under the RIM program, landowners are paid for easements to set aside marginal or environmentally sensitive agricultural land from production to protect soil and water quality and support fish and wildlife habitat.
The lands usually are planted in prairie grasses but also include wetlands.
Haying and grazing will probably occur on less than half the 250,000 acres currently enrolled, said John Jaschke, Board of Water and Soil Resources executive director.
He said he expects the affect on wildlife to be minimal "and maybe even helpful," because haying and grazing can produce similar benefits to burning prairies, which can rejuvenate grasses.
"Hopefully it will have no impact to wildlife," he said.
Jaschke noted that under the restrictions, at least 50 percent of each easement area will remain undisturbed for wildlife. Tree plantings, food plots, water control structures, wetland basins and stream banks will be excluded.
Haying and grazing also will be limited to Aug. 2-Sept. 30, grasses should be harvested no shorter than 6 inches to ensure regrowth, and, where practical, mowing will begin in the center and move to the outer edges to allow wildlife to escape.
