County slips into severe drought, triggering wildfire aid

Two thirds of Crook County has now slipped into a state of severe drought, with the southeastern quarter of the county now listed as experiencing moderate drought.

These conditions have triggered wildfire assistance for agricultural producers in this county through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The FSA began by reviewing the variety of fire assistance it offers and identified the counties authorized for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands outside of the primary nesting season, for which a county must be listed as experiencing severe drought.

Local pro...