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2022 Berggren Plan Web

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11 BERGGREN PLAN (1.0), 2016-2020 The Berggren Plan 1�0 identified all manageable aspects of the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska with a primary emphasis on improving pheasant habitat and increasing public access for pheasant hunting� From 2016–2020, these efforts were focused on both public and private lands within the eight priority areas identified in the plan (Figure 2)� During the planning process, agency and partnership staff developed practice lists and associated financial incentives to encourage private landowners to create or improve pheasant habitat on their land� Although increasing suitable pheasant habitat is a statewide objective, there are also many regional differences in agricultural land-use and economics (e�g�, availability of small grains, variable land/cash rental values, CRP payment rates, etc�) that warrant different approaches to achieving the agency's habitat objectives� Thus, financial incentives were tailored within each priority area to maximize landowner participation and overall success� Many landowner incentives were designed to increase landowner participation in CRP or to encourage high-quality management practices on existing CRP lands (e�g�, mid-contract management)� Still, some incentives were utilized to promote other pheasant-friendly practices on private lands, including leaving tall stubble, planting diverse cover crops, and removing invasive trees from existing grasslands, among others� From 2016-2020, Commission and partnership staff completed 2,434 projects with private landowners, positively impacting more than 216,500 acres of pheasant habitat within the eight priority areas (Table 1)� For the Commission, this came at a total cost of approximately $5�1 million, or $23�58 per acre impacted� These values do not include financial contributions from other partnering agencies or organizations� A total of 10 new partnership biologist positions were added strategically throughout the state and staff have continued to find innovative ways to create and improve pheasant habitat through both new and existing programs (e�g�, "short-term set-aside", Cropland Cover RCPP, precision agriculture/conservation, etc�)�

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