Courtesy Photo­Image Buffer strip

Applications are currently being accepted for the Nebraska Buffer Strip Program. Annual payments up to $225 per acre are available through the program.

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Buffer strips, or filter strips, are areas planted to grasses. A buffer strip is 20-120 feet wide, sometimes wider.

Grasses are planted between cropland and waterways to reduce sediment and other pollutants that could otherwise reach surface water, said Grasslands Stewardship Coordinator Bill Carhart.

Buffer strips can be planted next to seasonal or perennial streams, wetlands and ponds. Intermittent drainage ways through cropped fields also qualify. Wider “Riparian forest buffers” are another option, with trees in expanded grass filter strips. Dryland or irrigated land is eligible for enrollment.

The landowner can choose an agreement from 5-10 years.

Contact the Twin Platte Natural Resources District office for more information at (308) 535-8080.