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NRD News and Events

USDA to Allow Producers to Request Voluntary Termination of Conservation Reserve Program Contract

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

USDA Announces Additional Flexibilities to Help Address Threats to Global Food SecurityWASHINGTON, May 26, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants who are in the final year of their CRP contract to request...

As Arbor Day Celebrates 150, NRDs Reflect on 50

Monday, May 2, 2022

LINCOLN, Nebraska – Along with Lt. Governor Mike Foley and local dignitaries from the Nebraska Forest Service and Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) celebrated their 50th anniversary with the planting of two Red Oaks on the Nebraska state...

Nebraska’s NRDs Plant 100 Millionth Tree

Monday, April 25, 2022

LINCOLN, Nebraska – Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. This spring, the NRD Conservation Tree Pro...

March 2022 Newsletter

Monday, March 21, 2022

ACE Camp Pairs Natural Resources with Summer Fun

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

LINCOLN, Neb. – Whether it’s a reptile wrapped around a wrist or a cool splash in the Middle Loup River, Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE) has something to offer this summer. Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are now accepting registrations for ACE...

Farming Evolution 2022

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Get out your calendars and mark Wednesday & Thursday, February 16 & 17 as the dates for the annual Farming Evolution event. Whether you look at regenerative agriculture concepts with a wary eye or fully embrace the ideas, this event is for you. This year�...

Executive Travel Partners with Nebraska’s NRDs to Plant 1M Trees

Monday, December 27, 2021

LINCOLN, Nebraska – Executive Travel has announced a partnership with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) to plant 1 million trees over the next five years through the ETGreen campaign, starting with 50,000 trees in 2022. ETGreen was launched in September 2021...

Funds Available to Help Restore and Protect Rangeland

Friday, October 22, 2021

LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 22, 2021 – Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Nebraska producers have funding opportunities to help address the spread of invasive woody vegetation on rangeland. Landowners interested in rece...

NRD Hall of Fame Inductees Announced at Husker Harvest Days

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Four individuals honored for conservation workLINCOLN, Neb. – During Husker Harvest Days Sept. 15, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) recognized four individuals, who will be inducted into the NRD Hall of Fame later this month.“Nebraska’s Natural Reso...

EPA Announces $263,000 Grant for Nebraska to Improve Drinking Water for Underserved, Disadvantaged Communities

Friday, August 27, 2021

(Lenexa, Kan., Aug. 27, 2021) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of $263,000 in grant funding for Nebraska to improve drinking water for residents in small towns and underserved communities.This funding is part of $25 million in Wa...

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Regional/National Water News

The Perfect Storm: Now’s the Time to Safeguard Your Soil

05/16/2022

By JENNA HOFFMAN May 16, 2022 A dust storm rippled through the Midwest late last week, followed by rain in some parts and continued heat in others. The Great Plains is no stranger to this weather phenomenon, but producers up north are less familiar with it. Images of the...Read more

KGS report indicates 2021 drained Kansas groundwater levels

03/23/2022

By Sarah Motter LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - A new report from the Kansas Geological Survey , based at KU, found that groundwater levels have dropped by over a foot in western and central Kansas. The University of Kansas says preliminary data gathered by the Kansas Geological...Read more

Grasslands need protection now

03/13/2022

North America's grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. By Jacob Hanson The grade school textbooks in my rural, northern Minnesota classroom raised an issue that led to lunchroom table talk over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Rainforests were...Read more

Farmers restore native grasslands as groundwater disappears

09/09/2021

To avoid Dust Bowl conditions, more farmers are restoring native grasslands in areas where the nation’s largest aquifer is drying up and rainfall is often scarce. By TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press MULESHOE, Texas (AP) — For decades, the Texas Panhandle was green with cotton...Read more

DROUGHT UPDATE: WEST COAST, MIDWEST WATER SUPPLIES DWINDLE

05/28/2021

Central Valley Farmers to Get No Allocation Farmers in California’s Central Valley Project will get none of their water allocations in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Urban areas served by the Central Valley Project will receive 25% of their contracted...Read more

Scientists propose irrigation improvements

05/26/2021

With threats of water scarcity complicating the need to feed a growing global population, it is more important than ever to get crop irrigation right. Overwatering can deplete local water supplies and lead to polluted runoff, while underwatering can lead to sub-optimal crop...Read more

Rising levels of nitrates still contaminating groundwater

03/15/2021

Nitrate levels in Nebraska’s groundwater are on the rise, especially in portions of Northeast Nebraska. The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) has analyzed the nitrate data gathered as part of the routine Groundwater Quality Sampling Program and found some...Read more

Report: Burst pipe at Mead ethanol plant leads to discharge of waste

02/18/2021

Chris Dunker A frozen pipe burst at the AltEn ethanol plant near Mead early Friday morning, causing waste to spill out of the property and onto a neighboring University of Nebraska-Lincoln research center site. Staff at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center,...Read more

More Farmers Are Planting Cover Crops Thanks To State Incentive Programs

02/10/2021

By DANA CRONIN • JAN 29, 2021 Last month, the Illinois Department of Agriculture opened applications for its second annual Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program -- which provides a crop insurance discount for each acre of cover crop a farmer plants. It filled up in less...Read more

Research shows grazing cover crops can add economic value

01/18/2021

By KAY LEDBETTER Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Growing dual-purpose wheat for both grazing and grain production is an important agricultural practice in the Southern Great Plains. But of late, more Texas Rolling Plains producers want to know if alternative systems to...Read more