Nebraska

Increasing Technical Assistance to Restore Grassland Habitat through Prescribed Fire (NE)
Increase technical assistance and financial assistance to landowners to reintegrate prescribed fire and improve range condition for grassland birds and cattle producers in central Nebraska. Project will restore 12,000 acres of grassland habitat on private, working ranches through the development of burn plans, improved grazing management, mechanical removal of eastern red cedar, and implementation of prescribed fire.
$300,000

Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
Iowa Tribe Conservation Partnership Program (KS, NE)
Provide a series of educational events, conservation planning, and technical assistance to the agricultural producers of the Iowa Reservation and surrounding communities. Project will expand regenerative agriculture strategies that ensure a lasting impact on soil health, water conservation and quality, and carbon storage and sequestration.
$400,000

National Audubon Society
Enhancing and Restoring Monarch Habitat (NE)
Restore and improve pollinator habitat for the monarch butterfly and regal fritillary on public lands and private working lands in eastern Nebraska. Project will improve 5,180 acres, restore 340 acres, propagate 2,000 milkweed seedlings, collect 110 pounds of milkweed seed and engage 100 people.
$175,000

Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition
Restoring Grassland Habitat by Reintroducing Historic Prescribed Fire Regimes (NE)
Increase technical assistance through two Burn Coordinator positions to ensure capacity is available to implement prescribed fires to treat woody invasive species encroachment of eastern red cedars and restore native grassland habitat in the Nebraska Sandhills. Project will restore nearly 9,600 and support communication efforts that explain the value and necessity of prescribed fire in managing healthy grassland systems.
$300,000

Pheasants Forever
Restoring Grassland Habitat by Removing Invasive Eastern Red Cedar (NE)
Restore grassland rangeland habitat in the Nebraska Sandhills using prescribed fire to control woody invasive species such as eastern red cedar. Project will restore 50,000 acres of habitat by working with private landowners to remove invasive trees, reintroduce historic burning regimes, reseed native grassland species and follow best management practices for grazing.
$261,244

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory
Expanding the Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert Motus Network to Inform Migratory Bird Conservation (multiple states)
Expand efforts to build a network of automated radio telemetry stations throughout the Great Plains and Chihuahuan Desert that will help fill demographic knowledge gaps, characterize stop-over and migratory connectivity, and inform full annual cycle habitat conservation for steeply declining grassland birds. Project will install 10 new stations and deploy bird tags to inform future conservation of grassland birds.
$250,000

Sandhills Task Force
Collaborative Conservation in the Sandhills Ecosystem (NE)
Improve grassland bird and wildlife habitat, ecosystem resiliency, and carbon sequestration potential in Nebraska’s Sandhills on privately owned land by controlling eastern red cedar infestations and/or improving grazing systems. Project will restore or improve 10,000 acres through use of prescribed fire, mechanical treatment, and strategically removing seed sources of woody invasives.
$300,000

The Nature Conservancy
Enhancing Nutrient Management in the Blue River Watershed (NE)
Partner with farmers in the Lower Big Blue River watershed to implement nutrient management practices on their operations. Project will deliver financial and technical assistance to thirty area farmers to improve nutrient management regimens on 4,800 acres based on best available science and each farm’s operational realities.
$232,561

The Nature Conservancy
Increase Capacity and Technical Assistance to Accelerate Conservation Delivery in the Sandhills (NE)
Increase capacity for a full-time Grassland Protection Coordinator will enhance partner efforts in the eastern third of the Sandhills, providing technical assistance to accelerate on-the-ground delivery and implementation of NRCS and Farm Bill conservation programs. Project will improve management on nearly 200,000 acres of private rangeland habitat, addressing woody encroachment and increase grassland health climate resilience.
$245,036