USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering $1.5 million in cost-share assistance to landowners through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative to control invasive species. The program is targeted to watersheds in Nebraska that have been designated as fully or over appropriated by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

Landowners have until March 12 to sign up for assistance.

The CCPI, now in its second year, provides financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands in specific watershed areas (see attached map).  Funds are available through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program or the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

Landowners in the North and South Platte River basins, the Platte River basin to the eastern Polk County line, all of the Republican River basin, and the Niobrara River basin are eligible.  These basins have been declared fully or over appropriated basins for surface and/or groundwater.

NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick says, "We are partnering with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Weed Management Areas to enhance weed control.  Most of the effort has been in aerial spraying the existing weeds, which has been very successful. These new funds can be used by landowners to undertake additional actions to try and keep the weeds from returning."

Some of the invasive plants being targeted include phragmites, a grass that can grow 15-feet tall, choking out native plants (phragmites is highly visible in river channels along I-80 west of Grand Island to the state border); saltcedar, a perennial tree or shrub that spreads easily, and when mature, is estimated to absorb 200 gallons of water per day; and Russian olive, an invasive tree that displaces native species.

For more information about CCPI, contact any NRCS office, county weed commissioner or visit the Nebraska Department of Agriculture web site at www.agr.ne.gov/riparian/ccpi.htm.

Note to reporters: A copy of the map showing the CCPI sign up area is available from NRCS by contacting Joanna Pope at (402) 437-4123 or [email protected].  A low-resolution copy is attached.  Photos of invasive weed species are also available.