The Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District is offering a helping hand to landowners in Dawes, Sioux, Sheridan, and Box Butte Counties whose lands were burned during this summer’s fires.
NRD manager Lyndon Vogt says the NRD board is offering a discount for reforestation projects in the burned areas, with a 50% discount up to $500 per individual landowner on projects using either seedlings or seeds.
That’s enough for 1,000 bare root seedling or 500 potted seedlings. Details on seeds are still being worked, including what species will be available, but the cost is expected to run from $25-to-60 dollars a pound.
Vogt says landowners can reduce their share of reforestation costs down to just 25% if they’re willing to follow the planting specifications of the Wild Nebraska program…administered jointly by the NRD and Nebraska Game and Parks. He says the rules are relatively simple and are intended to increase the survival chances of the trees.
Landowners who have to replace shelter belts can also get a 50% cost share from the UNWNRD…not only on trees, but also on fabric, planting, and installation regardless of the age of the damaged shelter belt and with a maximum of $5,000 per individual instead of $500.
Vogt says the NRD board is also looking at other possible fire recovery cost-shares, but has made no decisions at this time…recommending that those who lost pasture contact the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Vogt says anyone wanting to sign up for any of the cost-share programs simply needs to contact the Upper Niobrara White NRD offices in Chadron or one of the NRCS offices in the NRD. Applications must be in by January 15th so seedlings can be available for spring planting.
In a related story, Game and Parks is contacting landowners to coordinate replacement of fences lost to the fires on agency lands. Deputy Director Tim McCoy says it follows Nebraska fencing law and works with neighboring landowners to replace and repair damaged fences.
He says agency staffers will contacting neighboring landowners to identify priority fences on pastures they hope to graze early next year, and promises flexibility on the use of contractors, work agreements and other tools on such projects.
McCoy says Game and Parks also is exploring additional measures that can be taken to assist wildlife and local areas in recovery efforts.
Listen: