Nebraska: Equal Opportunity Partnering Renews the Face of the Prairie

If you work with prairie restoration in Nebraska—in either the public or private sector—chances are you have worked with Michael Kelly to add a conservation practice or system somewhere on his 20,000 plus acres of owned and leased land in the southern Nebraska Sandhills.

The list of practices Kelly has tackled reads like a conservation catalogue for prairie ranching: Seven miles of cross fencing, 11 livestock water wells, 7500+ feet of livestock water pipeline, 12 new windmills, 19 livestock water tanks, 11,000 trees for livestock and wildlife windbreaks, rotational grazing.

Kelly and his wife, Cynthia, third generation owners of the ranch, have worked with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nature Conservancy, Sandhills Task Force, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Central Nebraska Public Power, among others.

Why so many organizations? Is this their unique way of meeting people, given the vast expanses of their ranch? Only partly, Kelly says. “Partnerships help me financially do things I couldn’t afford to do myself. Improving…forage production, restoring riparian areas along the North Platte and Birdwood Creek, enhancing wildlife habitat and protecting the water quality…are things I wanted to do…they are the right things to do,” he explains.

Their many partners agreed. In January the Kellys were chosen from among the many exemplary regional winners, as the national winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award.

Rancher’s Quote: “Because the native grasslands on our ranches have improved under our rotational grazing systems, we believe we provide ample proof, along with other sustainable producers, that properly managed livestock can benefit our native grasslands.” –Michael Kelly

NRCS Quote: “Mr. Kelly has taken the time and put forth the effort to understand the natural resources on his ranch. …He is a committed life long learner willing to change with the times. He passes this ethic on to his children…frequently including them in opportunities to learn from resource professionals visiting the ranch.”--Jeffrey Nichols, Rangeland Management Specialist

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Model of partnership and conservation outreach; 2) prescribed grazing (rotational); 3) windbreak plantings; 4) restoration of cottonwood savanna; 5) fencing; 6) watering facilities (wells, waterlines, and tanks); 7) 12 windmills; 8) conservation easement

NRCS Program Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

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