The North Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) has awarded over $138,000 in cost-share for the 2015 fiscal year.

The conservation cost-share program is open to any landowner in Banner, Garden, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, and southern Sioux counties, and the Program reimburses cooperating landowners for a portion of the costs of installing conservation practices on their farm or ranch. Applicants must receive approval from the North Platte NRD General Manager before beginning work.

The North Platte NRD recently instituted several changes to the cost-share program. These changes included a continuous sign up, ranking system for evaluating applications, and a uniform 50 percent cost-share rate for all practices. North Platte NRD's General Manager John Berge says the changes the NRD has recently instituted worked great. "The process turned out better then we could have hoped." Berge said, "The new application process and ranking system went seamlessly, and we are able to get approval to land owners faster then in previous years."

All the approved practices improve soil, water, and range land conservation. Roy Lyles, Soil Conservation Coordinator, says the approved practices are more in line with the conservation wish of the NRD's Board of Directors. This year's approved applications included livestock wells and tanks for planned grazing systems; moisture sensors and conversion nozzles for irrigation water management; and native grass plantings.

Landowners will be contacted via the mail if their application were accepted. They will have until June 1st to complete their projects and must provide bills/cost verifications, pictures, and map of finished practice before the funds will distributed. Fiscal year 2016 is now open and will run until February 2016. For more information, contact North Platte NRD office at (308) 632-2749.