Cedar trees are rapidly spreading across Nebraska’s grasslands, threatening valuable forage for grazing animals and habitat for wildlife. In some areas, grass production has dropped by as much as 75% over the past three decades due to cedar tree encroachment. The best time to control your cedar trees is now.
To help landowners and producers tackle this issue, hands-on workshops will be held at locations across Nebraska in June.
- Thursday, June 4 — 10 a/m/ to noon MT at the Community Building at the Hooker County Fairgrounds in Mullen.
- Thursday, June 4 — 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. MT at the Winter Building in Hyannis.
- Thursday, June 11— 1 to 3:30 p.m. CT at the Holt County Annex Building in O’Neill.
- Friday, June 26 — 1 to 3:30 p.m. CT at the Gage County Extension Office in Beatrice.
Gain insight from real-life examples of various cedar control projects, including before/after photos, cost of the projects, cost-share options, and how producers are maintaining cedar-free pastures to maximize grass. Understanding how cedar trees spread and grow will help producers decide the best control options to use. Learn how pastures recover after fire, and how wildlife numbers, like grassland birds, change based on cedar canopy. Some locations will also cover planning for a safe prescribed burn.
Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is appreciated at the following local extension offices:
- To register for Mullen or Hyannis, call 308-645-2267.
- To register for O’Neill, call 402-336-2760.
- To register for Beatrice, call 402-335-3669.
Participants can also register online. There is no cost to attend.
Thanks to these partners — Nebraska Extension, Pheasants Forever, the Nature Conservancy, Sandhills Task Force, Nebraska Game and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and USDA NRCS.
