Published: July 30, 2007 08:45 am      

USDA announces special meeting

ADA — The Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency in Pontotoc County will hold a special meeting at the USDA Service Center in Ada Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 3 p.m. The informational meeting will be held in the USDA Conference Room at 13289 Cradduck Road in Ada. The office is located in Cougar Plaza, south of the old K-Mart building. The purpose of the meeting will be to answer questions and accept applications concerning the Grassland Reserve Program. GRP preserves the nations grazing lands from development by offering eligible participants the opportunity to enroll grazingland in 10, 15 or 20-year rental agreements. The program may also assist land owners in the restoration of these lands.

USDA is providing nearly $1.5 million dollars to Oklahoma for enrolling participants meeting USDA’s definitions of either Limited Resource or Beginning Farmer or Rancher. For this initiative, the Grassland Reserve Program sign-up is available for applicants with land physically located in 30 eastern Oklahoma counties. Counties included in the sign up are Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, latimer, LeFlore, Mayes, McCurtain, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Rogers, seminole, sequoyah, Wagoner and Washington.