A federal judge has temporarily halted an emergency program that would allow grazing and hay production on an estimated 24 million acres of conservation lands across the country. In May the Department of Agriculture decided to allow grazing on land protected under the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers not to plant crops in order to return fields to native vegetation. The decision was intended to aid cattle producers hurt by rising hay prices, a result of grain farmers shifting to corn and wheat. Hay costs have increased from $75 to $100 three years ago to as much as $200 a ton today. Washington is among the top 10 states for participation in the conservation program with more than 1.5 million acres providing habitat for birds, curbing soil erosion and improving water quality. According to the USDA the decision would have boosted production of up to 18 million tons of cattle forage worth $1.2 billion. The National Wildlife Federation and six affiliations filed suit over the decision, saying the government should have performed an environmental assessment before acting. The fallow lands under the conservation program have been crucial to wildlife. Cattle producers say there were counting on the emergency measure to get through the coming winter. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour issued a temporary restraining order earlier this week to halt implementation of the emergency program and set a full hearing for July 17. (AP)