Agricultural producers should apply for Wildlife Initiative Nebraska funds by July 5.
LINCOLN, Neb., June 7, 2019 – Farmers and ranchers interested in improving wildlife habitat on their operations are encouraged to apply now for funding available from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Those interested in receiving funding should apply by July 5, 2019.
Craig Derickson, state conservationist for NRCS in Nebraska said, “Nebraska ag producers care not only about growing a crop, they also enjoy caring for the wildlife that share their land. This funding can help them make that goal a reality.”
Funding is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP has designated funding specifically for wildlife habit improvement through the Wildlife Initiative Nebraska. Funding can be used to plant native grass species, control brush on rangeland, conduct prescribed burns to improve grassland and much more.
EQIP is one of the most widely applied conservation programs in Nebraska. Through this program, conservation practices were installed on over 475,000 acres in Nebraska during 2018 with over 900,000 acres currently under contract statewide.
The goal of EQIP is to provide a financial incentive to encourage landowners to install conservation practices that protect natural resources, resulting in cleaner air and water, healthy soil and more wildlife habitat.
Individuals interested in entering into an EQIP agreement may apply at any time, but the application cut-off to be considered for funding through the Wildlife Initiative Nebraska will be July 5, 2019. The first step is to visit your local NRCS field office and complete an application.
For more information about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and other conservation programs, visit your local NRCS field office or www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.
