Nebraska Wildlife and land conservation get boost from USDA

LINCOLN — Two Nebraska efforts aimed at grassland and wildlife conservation through conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers and tribes will benefit from a financial boost recently announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA on June 27 announced it would invest at least $500 million over the next five years to wildlife conservation through Working Lands for Wildlife, a model that balances the conservation needs of endangered species with the needs of landowners and their working lands.

Previously only available through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation assistance programs, Working Lands for Wildlife can now be considered an option for landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program through the Farm Service Agency.

Nebraska has two Working Lands focus areas and initiatives, including one in the Sandhills and one in southeast Nebraska, that will receive some of the support prioritized for grasslands and bobwhite quail in the central and eastern United States.