Woody plant encroachment puts pressure on working rangelands by decreasing livestock production and increasing wildfire risk as well as harming grassland biodiversity and increasing threat to animal species living in this biome.
NRCS is adopting a new approach to address this widespread threat through the Nebraska Great Plains Grassland Initiative (GPGI). The initiative is part of the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) framework calling to conserve the last remaining iconic grassland regions in the Great Plains biome.
The GPGI initiative makes ranchers in targeted rangelands (see map below) eligible to receive Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding related to addressing woody plant encroachment. This EQIP Initiative provides an opportunity for producers to reduce the vulnerability of Nebraska core grasslands from woody encroachment.
Additional Information:
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Nebraska GPGI Fact Sheet (1.93 MB)
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Nebraska GPGI Map (1.28 MB)
- Reducing Woody Vegetation in Grassland magazine
Contact:
Jeff Nichols, State Rangeland Managment Specialist
(308) 534-2360 ext. 3707