Cost-Share Programs

  • Corners for Wildlife

    • Corners for Wildlife is a program developed in 1995 by Nebraska Pheasants Forever (PF). This program was designed to establish permanent wildlife habitat on center pivot irrigation corners. Corners for Wildlife receives funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and local Natural Resources Districts, in addition to funding provided by local PF chapters.
     
    How it Works
    Enrollment in this program is based on a five (5) year contract. Producers are able to receive 75% cost-share assistance for establishing a grass and legume planting on the corner. In addition, producers wishing to plant trees and shrubs on the corner can receive 75% or 100% cost-share for the plants (100% cost-share for planting more than 400 trees/shrubs), and 50% cost-share for fabric weed barrier. There is also an annual payment based on the length of the contract and the conservation practice chosen. The UNWNRD will lay the weed barrier and plant the trees for free as long as the number of trees ordered for the project exceeds 400, and the landowner agrees to pay 50% of the cost of the weed barrier.
     
    Funding for this program is available on a first come first serve basis. Applications will be taken until funding is exhausted.
     
    As of 2001, 525 corners had been enrolled in the program throughout Nebraska; 3,430 acres of nesting area have been created, and 245,944 trees have been planted (an average of 468 per corner).
     
    If you have questions
    or would like to enroll in the program,
    please contact Jason Moudry (moudry at unwnrd.org) at (308) 432- 6190.

  • Flow Meter Cost-Share Programs

    • A flow meterIrrigators are still eligible for cost-share. The UNWNRD now has cost-share funds available -- for a limited time. Please contact the UNWNRD or your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office for more information or to get signed up for this program.
     
    This management tool will allow you to increase your irrigation water efficiency by giving you a reading on the number of gallons your well has pumped. Additional benefits include: Decreased runoff, reduced leaching of chemicals out of the root zone, enhanced ability to monitor changes in well output and lowered pumping costs for producers.
     
    Any private landowner within the UNWNRD can receive 50% of the total cost of the meter and installation, not to exceed a payment of $600 per meter. Each entity can receive cost-share for up to three meters. Any well that is capable of pumping 50 gallons per minute or more and is not used for domestic purposes is eligible. The only requirements are that the well be registered with the State and that the landowner report water use to the UNWNRD for 10 years. This report consists of recording one number at the end of the pumping season.
     
    To be eliglible for cost-share, a propeller type of meter must be installed, the meter must meet or exceed the industry standard of ±2% water flow accuracy and have a totalizer.
     
    Hurry, these funds are only available for a limited time!
     
    These funds are made possible by the Bureau of Reclamations.

  • Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program (NSWCP)

    • The Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation program was established in 1977 by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This cost share program provides assistance to landowners who wish to install approved conservation measures. These measures aim to improve water quality and quantity, and help control erosion and sedimentation. Practices eligible for the cost-share program are:
     
    • Critical Area Planting
    • Diversions
    • Dugouts for Livestock Water
    • Grade Stabilization Structures
    • Grasses Waterways
    • Irrigation Tailwater Recovery Pit
    • Irrigation Water management
    • Planned Grazing Systems
    • Planting or Range Seeding
    • Repair of Practices--terraces, dams, diversions, etc.
    • Stream Bank Stabilization
    • Terrace Systems
    • Terrace Underground Outlets
    • Water Impoundment Dams
    • Water and Sediment-Control Basins
    • Windbreaks/ Shelterbelts
    • Windbreak Renovation
     
    Funds for this program are dispersed by the DNR to the 23 NRDs throughout the state. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides the technical assistance when planning and installing any approved conservation measures. NRDs are responsible for taking applications for the program, setting priorities, assisting landowners and contractors to complete the practices and arrange the necessary paperwork for submission.
     
    Cost Share Payment
    A 50% cost share is available to help defray the construction costs for these practices.
    To Apply
    for a NSWCP cost-share please contact Lynn Webster at webster at unwnrd.org

  • Water Quality Funds

    • Currently no available information.

  • Well Decommissioning Program

    • What is Well Decommissioning?
    Abandoned wells can be a serious threat to the quality of your ground water supply. An abandoned well is one that has not been properly decommissioned. A properly decommissioned well has been filled, sealed, and plugged in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
     
    big or small, plug them all
    Why should I plug my abandoned well?
    More than 90% of Nebraskans rely on ground water for domestic use. Abandoned wells may provide a direct link for contamination from the surface to enter ground water drinking supplies. Agricultural AND lawn care chemicals, livestock waste, and other contaminants can contaminate the water supply through an abandoned well.
     
    Abandoned wells can also be physically hazardous. Small animals and even children can fall into wells that are not properly sealed.
    Decommissioning Cost-Share Guidelines:
    • All pumps, piping and any other obstructions must be removed from the well site. The cost incurred in this removal is not eligible for cost-share.
      •  
    • The well shall be decommissioned in compliance with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
      •  
    • Decommissioning of the well shall be completed within six months of the application approval date.
      •  
    • All plugging work must be performed by a licensed well driller or pump installer. Maximum cost-share rate is 75% of the actual cost not to exceed $300 for wells up to 12 inches in diameter, $400 for wells over 12 inches and $700 for hand-dug wells.
      •  
    • Report the fill materials and quantities used to plug the well to the UNWNRD and the Nebraska Department of Water Resources.
    How do I receive well decommissioning cost-share assistance?
    • Contact the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District office for an application. NO COST-SHARE WILL BE PAID WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION!
    • The landowner must fill out the application form and return it to the UNWNRD office for approval. Click here to download the application form. Approval is needed before a certified well driller plugs the well.
    • Upon application approval by the UNWNRD, the copy of the application and a verification form will be sent to the landowner. A copy and reporting form for completion by the contractor will also be included.
    • The reporting form will be completed by the contractor with information about the fill of the well. The reporting form has two sides to complete and must be notarized.
    • Cost-Share will not be paid until all completed forms (application approval, cost verification, reporting form) and a bill indicating all charges have been presented to the UNWNRD office by the landowner or well driller.
    • Reimbursement is made to the landowner after the claim has been reviewed.
     

  • WILD Nebraska Cost-Share Program

    • deerWILD Nebraska is an "umbrella" program developed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to cover a number of wildlife habitat improvement efforts. Originally named the Private Lands Habitat Program (1977), then later Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) in 1988, WILD Nebraska achieves new flexibility in assessing the needs and desires of producers. WILD accomplished this flexibility when several programs from WHIP and other agency developed programs were combined. Simplifying the process and also allowing producers to have more options when choosing the habitat plan that best suits them. The UNWNRD and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission work together to provide cost-share assistance for a number of different activities. Examples of some of these programs are:
    • Grassland Enhancement & Grazing Management
      • -Light disking
      • -Fencing for habitat protection
      • -Others
    • Grassland Establishment
      • -Wildlife shrub planting
    • CRP Enhancement
      • -Rototilling tree & shrub planting
    • Cropland Enhancement
      • -Wheat stubble management
    • Woodland Establishment or Enhancement
      • -Wildlife shelterbelts
      • -Riparian forest buffers
    • Wetland Establishment & Enhancement
      • -Prescribed burning
      • -Wetland vegetation management
    • Center Pivot Corner Enhancement
      • -Corners for Wildlife program
     
    Wild Nebraska logo
    Although these are just a few programs offered by the WILD Nebraska program, they do provide a glimpse into what can be accomplished when producers utilize WILD Nebraska. The cost share for each activity varies, as does the contract time. Different incentives are also provided regarding public land, contract time, and activity utilized. WILD Nebraska is a unique program that not only allows producers and landowners to develop new conservation areas, but also to enhance existing tracks of land.
     
    To find out more about the activities offered through the WILD Nebraska cost-share program visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website; or contact Jason Moudry (moudry at unwnrd.org) at the UNWNRD for more information.