The one-month extension of the 2002 Farm Bill is allowing the Natural Resources Conservation Service to offer additional funds to landowners interested in the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

NRCS will be accepting applications through March 28, according to agency officials. "This is a short timeline, but it may allow interested landowners to enter the program," said Steve Chick, NRCS State Conservationist.

About $400,000 is available statewide. Interested landowners should contact their local NRCS to apply by Friday, March 28.

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program offers the financial and technical assistance through NRCS for the development of habitat both wildlife and fisheries on private or tribal lands. Priority is given to applications that benefit declining species.

The program encourages creation of high-quality wildlife habitat for uplands, wetlands, riparian areas or aquatic areas. Cost-share rates are up to 75 percent and there generally is not an acreage limit.

Priorities in Nebraska for WHIP funds are given to native prairie renovation and management, native grassland establishment and restoration, riparian area improvement and restoration, small cropland field conversions and native woodland habitat enhancement.

"During the last 10 years in Nebraska we have written over 500 contracts to improve 173,000 acres. So these are very small parcels but vital to wildlife," said Chick.

He said that all the conservation programs through the NRCS are available to producers to apply in a continuous sign-up process. "Landowners or operators don't have to wait for these announcements to apply," he added.

These major programs include WHIP, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Wetlands Reserve Program.

Further information on any of these programs or others is available at any NRCS office in a USDA Service center or on the Web at http://www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

Nebraska corn yield contest winners announced

Winners for the 2007 Corn Yield Contest were announced in late December and Nebraska had one national Winner.

Jyl Brown of Talmage placed second at the national level in the Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated Class.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) in St. Louis sponsors the yield contest. In its 43rd year, the contest had record 4,932 growers participate in 2007.

Cen tral Nebraska winners include a pair of farmers in District 5 in the Ridge-Till Irrigated Class Wayne Stoltenberg of Grand Island, Pioneer 32B33, recording a yield of 265.0021bushels per acre, and Joyce Willoughby of Wood River, Pioneer 33Y74 and a yield of 264.8793.

Nebraska Corn Board honors Aurora ethanol official

The Nebraska Corn Board has recognized Dwayne Braun of Aurora with its newly established Ethanol Industry Award.

Braun is the general manager of both the Central City and Ord ethanol plants. The two plants are owned by the newly merged VeraSun Energy and US BioEnergy.

"Dwayne is more than a manager," said Jon Holzfaster, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. "He is always focused on positive interaction with corn and livestock producers. His plants are dedicated to paying the fairest price, maintaining the shortest unload times and providing the highest quality modified wet distillers grains."

In presenting the award, Holzfaster praised Braun for his personal commitment to Nebraska's ethanol and ag industries.

"Dwayne has also been a great partner and advocate in building markets for ethanol and distillers grains. He partnered with the Corn Board on our 'Powering Nebraska's Economy with Corn' newspaper campaign and serves as an ongoing resource on the industry's needs," Holzfaster said.

Area students win ag poster contest

As part of the celebration of National Ag Week, Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach announced the winners of the 2008 NDA poster contest.

This year's contest was the fifth year for the NDA-sponsored event, which generated 1,152 entries from first- through sixth-grade students from across Nebraska. The theme for the contest was "Nebraska Agriculture: See Us Grow."

"This contest allows the students to think about agriculture and how it affects their lives," Ibach said.

Two Grand Island area students placed in the fifth- and sixth-grade division. Cornelio Jaimes of Grand Island's Knickrehm Elementary School placed first, and third place went to Cristian Nava, also from Knickrehm.

The winning posters can be viewed on the NDA's Web site at www.agr.ne.gov.