Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. By working with others, the Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program helps accomplish this mission by offering technical and financial assistance to private (non-federal) landowners to voluntarily restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitats on their land. The program emphasizes the reestablishment of native vegetation and ecological communities for the benefit of fish and wildlife while sustaining the needs and desires of private landowners. Skip navigation links

The objectives of the Partners program in Nebraska are to: (a) protect and restore Federal trust species on private lands through cooperative efforts with other governmental agencies and private partnerships; (b) conserve biological diversity through the careful selection, design, and implementation of restoration projects; and (c) provide technical assistance to USDA and landowners involved in the implementation of key conservation programs.

In cooperation with Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ducks Unlimited, and numerous landowners, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in the Nebraska Panhandle has provided assistance on 95 projects in 13 counties since 1992.

The Nebraska Panhandle and its wildlife resources are highly diverse and very dynamic. The Partners Program focuses its efforts on working with farmers and ranchers to restore wetlands, stream and river corridors, prairies, grasslands, and other important fish and wildlife habitat. Some projects have resulted in substantial amounts of restored habitat for Federal trust species (i.e., migratory birds and threatened and endangered species).

Restoration costs may be shared by any combination of governmental agencies, private organizations, and the private landowner. Cost-effective restoration projects which provide maximum benefits to fish and wildlife for the least money receive top priority from the Partners program. The landowner must commit to maintaining restored habitat for a minimum of ten years by signing a wildlife extension agreement with the Service.

If you are interested in participating in this exciting program, please contact us.

These photos show a degraded wetland before and after restoration.

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