Funds available to establish buffer btrips

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is offering funding through the Nebraska Buffer Strip Program to help landowners improve water quality and protect natural resources by establishing buffer strips on eligible acres.

Buffer strips are strategically placed areas of vegetation between cropland and nearby water sources such as streams, ponds, and wetlands. These buffers play a critical role in filtering runoff from rainfall events, capturing sediment, nutrients, and chemicals before they reach surface waters.

Landowners can enroll in two types of buffer practices.

• Filter Strips — Narrow grass strips planted along water bodies, with eligible widths ranging from 20 to 120 feet.

• Grass buffer strip between crop field and stream.

The buffer program offers competitive rental rates, with payments up to $250 per acre.Compared to some federal conservation programs, the NDA Buffer Strip Program allows greater flexibility for haying and grazing,making it especially attractive for livestock producers.

Additionally, buffer strip enrollments can be combined with USDA conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) or the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), to maximize both environmental and financial benefits.

Establishing buffer strips provides multiple long-term advantages, including improved water quality, reduced soil erosion, enhanced wildlife habitat, and better overall soil health Landowners with cropland adjacent to waterways are encouraged to evaluate whether buffer strips could benefit their operation and the surrounding environment.

For more information about eligibility and enrollment, visit the Nebraska Department of Agriculture website: https://nda. nebraska.gov/ pesticide/buffer_ strip or contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office for assistance.practices include soil moisture monitoring equipment, irrigation scheduling tools, and other conservation technologies designed to reduce water use and limit nitrate movement below the crop root zone. These efforts also support Natural Resources Districts’ responsibility to implement groundwater management plans that reflect local conditions and protect soil and water resources while maintaining productive and profitable agricultural systems.

The program is available to producers throughout the district, with an emphasis on projects located within the Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, and designated Wellhead Protection Areas. Approved practices can receive cost-share assistance of up to 75 percent, helping reduce financial barriers to adopting new technologies.

Producers interested in learning more about best management practices and the Irrigation Technology and Conservation cost-share opportunities are encouraged to contact the LCNRD office at 402-254-6758, stop by the office, or visit lcnrd.nebraska.gov for additional information.