The Nebraska Buffer Strip Program was implemented in January 1999 through fees assessed on registered pesticides. Cropland adjacent to perennial and seasonal streams, ponds, and wetlands can be enrolled in buffer strips, which are designed to filter agrichemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Two kinds of buffer strips are eligible - filter strips, which are narrow strips of grass; and riparian forest buffer strips containing trees and grass. The minimum widths are 20 and 55 feet, respectively; the maximum widths are 120 and 180 feet, respectively.

The program is designed to be used in conjunction with the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), or other programs, however it can be used by itself, as well. Rental rates are calculated as follows:

• For irrigated cropland where CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs are also used, rental rates are $250 per acre minus payments from the other programs.

• For irrigated cropland where CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs are not used, the rental rate is $225 per acre minus any other program payments.

• For non-irrigated cropland enrolled in CRP, CREP or other governmentally-funded programs, the rental rate is equal to 20% of the average CRP soil rental rate.

• For non-irrigated cropland without CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs, the rental rate per acre is equal to 120% of the average CRP soil rental rate plus $5 per acre, minus the payment rate from any other programs.

• In no case may payments from all programs exceed $250 per acre.

Please refer to the Program Summary for a recent update.

Additional information can be found on the APPLICATION FORM (PDF or EXCEL). Interested landowners should contact their local Natural Resources District or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office to begin the application process.

Buffer Strip Distribution

County Totals - Total Acres

County Totals - Forested Buffer Acres

County Totals - Irrigated Acres

County Totals - Contracts

The University of Nebraska has developed three informational displays for use at conferences, farmer meetings, workshops, etc. to promote the use of streamside buffer strips. These displays are colorful and eye-catching, are sure to attract attention, and are easy to put together and take down. The only cost is for sending the display on to the next scheduled stop or for returning it to Lincoln. Go to http://conservationbuffers.unl.edu/index.htm and go to "Buffer Publications and Resources" to request a display for your function.

Files in PDF format can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

Nebraska Buffer Strip Act

Nebraska Buffer Strip Regulations

Conservation Buffers - University of Nebraska

Conservation Buffers to Reduce Pesticide Losses (NRCS)

Conservation Technology Information Center

Great Before/After Photos in Iowa (See the following research article for more information on this project)

Watershed restoration and agricultural practices in the midwest: Bear Creek in Iowa. Isenhart, T.M.; J.D. Colletti, and R.C. Shultz, 1997. In J.E. Williams (ED) Watershed Restoration: Principles and practices. American Fisheries Society. Beltsville, MD.

National Association of Conservation Districts' Buffer Notes newsletter

Riparian Forest Buffers (National Agroforestry Center)

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Buffer Strips: Common Sense Conservation

Realizing the Promise of Conservation Buffer Technology. A summary of the National Conservation Buffer Workshop, June 12-13, 2001, sponsored by the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Arbor Day Foundation, Conservation Trees Pamphlet

Association for Temperate Agroforestry

Best Nonpoint Source Documents, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 2001

Clean Water 101 - A Primer on Clean Water Policy; National Corn Growers Association

Conservation Trees for Nebraska. This booklet provides information to landowners and other interested parties about conservation trees, and contact information for ordering trees from your local Natural Resources District.

EPA River Corridor and Wetland Restoration

EPA Watershed Academy. Contains publications, a listing of training sites and schedules, as well as on-line distance learning modules for such topics as watershed management and protection, water quality, and wetlands, among others.

Fact Sheets: Functions and Values of Riparian Areas

Iowa State University Photo Gallery. A good collection of photos showing before/after changes, problems and solutions, maintenance issues, and aerial views of riparian buffers.

NDA Water Resources Protection. Useful information on and links to more best management practices for soil and water conservation, soils and soil quality, and minimizing the effects of pesticides on the environment.

Nebraska Pesticide and Noxious Weed Newsletter

NRCS Stream Corridor Restoration

NRCS Stream Visual Assessment Protocol. Intended for use by conservationists working with landowners to assess resource problems, but can be used by anyone wanting a better understanding of functions of streams, their values, and how to assess a specific stream reach.

Riparian Areas: Functions and Strategies for Management. A publication of the National Academy of Sciences evaluating the status of riparian areas, their importance in regulating water quality, and strategies for management.

Riparian Management Systems - Sustaining Agriculture and Environment. A slide show outlining affects of runoff and stream modification on the hydrology and function of streams, and benefits of riparian buffers.

USDA Food and Agricultural Policy "Taking Stock for the New Century" (Sept. 2001)

USDA NRCS Photo Gallery

USDA Water Quality Information Center. Using this database you can locate several hundred electronic publications that are freely available on the Web. This page also contains links to the AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access) and AgNIC (Agriculture Network Information Center) databases, which contain thousands of entries pertaining to agriculture.