U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow reserve cropland be released for use as grazing pastures.

Roberts, R-Kan., sent the request Thursday to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns, urging him to release Conservation Reserve Program acreage in Kansas for emergency grazing due to serious drought conditions that have persisted in the area for years.

Without the immediate release of acreage, Roberts said, “producers will be left with two choices: continue to graze and severely damage native pastures, or begin to liquidate cattle herds. Neither option is good for Kansas livestock producers. They need access to this acreage before such actions have to be taken.”

Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.