Eastern red cedar, incentives are topics at March 1 meeting

    Pheasants Forever and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are hosting a meeting for farmers and ranchers on Eastern red cedar and the Nebraska Berggren Pheasant Plan.
    The meeting on March 1 will be held at Enders Lake Golf Course, beginning at 11 a.m.
     According to Pheasants Forever Coordinating Wildlife Biologist Andy Houser, “It is a great time to come and learn about new options available for removing Eastern red cedar and incentives available for enrolling or re-enrolling into CRP.”
    Producers can look to improve both rangeland and marginal cropland at the meeting.
    General CRP signup is now accepting offers with a deadline of March 11. At next week’s meeting, staff will present information on the bonus incentives through the Focus on Pheasants program in Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties.
    With the revision of the Southwest Nebraska FOP area, sign-up incentive payment rates have changed, Houser said. Landowners may be eligible to receive a one-time $75/acre sign-up bonus for new or re-enrolled CRP.
    The meeting is free of charge and comes with lunch provided.    
     Attendees are asked to preregister by Feb. 25 to Heather Francis, Farm Bill Biologist at 308-520-0139 or hfrancis@pheasantsforever.org  or to Isaac Young at Nebraska Game and Parks at 308-414-1953 or Isaac.young@nebraska.gov.