Due to declines in the wildlife populations in Nebraska, the Upper Big Blue NRD and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission cooperate on a program, WILD Nebraska, to develop, manage and enhance wildlife habitat on private land through contracts with landowners. Cooperating landowners are offered financial assistance for establishing new wildlife habitat areas. The program is designed to give flexibility to interested landowners to implement land use practices that benefit wildlife, farmers, ranchers and the general public.
PROCEDURE
- Contact the Upper Big Blue NRD office to apply. Applications are taken year-round.
- The NRD and the Game and Parks Commission will make an on-site review to determine eligibility and to establish priorities.
- Final approval will be made by the NRD board of directors.
- An annual review will be made to ensure compliance.
- Annual payments will be made on the anniversary dates of acceptance into the program.
ELIGIBILITY
WILD Nebraska is designed to create new wildlife habitat from crop ground or to improve existing wildlife habitat. Existing habitat lands will not be accepted into the program without improvement approved by the funding agencies. Allowing pedestrian public access, including access for hunting, is the option of the landowner on all acres funded through this program. If public access is allowed, a payment of $3.00 per acre is made for each year of the contract.
Flexibility is a hallmark of this program. Landowners and agency staff have considerable leeway to develop a plan that meets the needs of all parties. Because of this, each contract will be created specifically for the individual site and goals.
PAYMENTS
A methodology to establish standardized costs has been adopted through WILD Nebraska using the USDA’s published county average costs. These rates are familiar to landowners and are already managed to be current. Where county average costs are not available, WILD Nebraska will work with partners to develop reasonable rates. In cases where annual rental payments are used, the same problem of maintaining current rates exists. WILD Nebraska’s solution is to use a percentage of the county average CRP rental rates. Total payments depend on the cost-share percentage and the annual maximum payment for each activity.
WILD Nebraska uses a payment system in which landowners receive financial incentives to help them “make a transition” from one level of economic land use to a different income base that provides greater wildlife benefits. Priorities are set on a statewide basis and include such things as habitat type, public access opportunities, project type (for example, row crop to high diversity grassland), contract length and
regional resource needs.
In general, cost-share for management activities is designed to introduce a landowner to a specific wildlife habitat management technique and to encourage its use in the future. Therefore, reenrollment of sites for additional cost-share benefits for the same activity will generally not be allowed unless special circumstances exist. Examples include public access or rare or unique habitats.
Transition payments will be limited to a maximum of five years. Following that period, lands will continue to be eligible for development or management activity incentives, but would not be eligible to receive additional transition payments.
A payment of $3.00/acre will be made for public access, including hunting, for each year of the contract.
The district has a minimum payment policy. In order to be cost-effective, the district will not issue a check for payment in an amount less than $100.00. If the estimated cost on an application turns out to be higher than the actual amount and the actual amount to be paid is less than $100.00, the application will be denied and no check will be issued. If an application results in a payment that would be less than $100.00
consider adding more acres on the application to increase the payment amount.
DEVELOPMENT
Development projects are eligible for reimbursement for materials and construction costs. Cooperators will be reimbursed, up to the specified limit, after submitting bills and invoices to the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District.
MANAGEMENT
Management payments will be based on a prescribed management plan. This plan may be modified by mutual consent as conditions warrant. Payments, will be made to the cooperator after the prescribed management action has been completed. Payments will be based on actual costs that are adjusted to account for equipment needs and maintenance, labor and risk factors. If a management activity is not listed in the table, the payment will be established in the contract and mutually agreed to by the Upper Big Blue NRD, the NGPC and the cooperator. Cooperators will be reimbursed for the amount listed in the table if they do the management themselves, or if they pay someone else to do the management.
TRANSITION
These are short-term payments designed to help the landowner transition to an alternate use of the land designed to be more wildlife friendly. These payments are needed when the alternative use of the land results in uncertainty and a loss of income generating potential, at least in the short-term. WILD Nebraska alone will not be able to compete economically with conventional agriculture. Therefore, payments will be targeted to obtain the greatest benefit for wildlife. When possible, payments will complement the existing land payment programs of our partners, especially the USDA. Transition payments will be based on a percentage of the county average land rental rates. Agreements will be either in the form of a contract or an easement. The decision on whether to use a contract or easement will be based on a number of factors including: cooperator preference, resource value, cost of the activity and length of the agreement.