Prescribed Grazing or Forage Harvest Management

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)

Name: / Date: September 2, 2003
Tracts/Fields:

Option Selected (circle): HAYING GRAZING OPTION A GRAZING OPTION B

Haying Requirements: Haying will be allowed once grasses are established. No haying is allowed until after July 15th. All haying operations for native grasses must be completed by August 15 to allow for adequate regrowth. Haying for cool season grasses must be completed by September 1st. The minimum haying stubble height for all species is at least 4":

Date of haying:
Other Requirements:

Grazing Requirements: Grazing is not allowed until grasses are established. No more than 50% use of forage is allowed when all pastures are grazed (Option A). If at least 25% of the area is left ungrazed for an entire season, Option B may be followed. Once minimum-grazing height is reached livestock will be removed, if adequate re-growth occurs grazing may be reinitiated. For ideal early bird nesting cover at least 10 inches of residue should be maintained through winter and early spring and grazing should be deferred through June 1. A rotational grazing system where livestock graze in a scheduled graze-rest sequence that allows for deferment of some pastures during the nesting season is preferred when season long deferment of at least one pasture is not possible.

Dates of grazing:
Deferment Schedule:
Other Requirements:

Minimum Height for Grazing Grasses1

Key Option A 2 Option B 3

Forage Minimum Grazing Minimum Grazing

Species Height (inches) Height (inches)

(Cool Season Grasses)

Cool Season mixture 4 3

Canada wildrye 6 5

Crested wheatgrass 4 3

Green needlegrass 4 3

Intermediate wheatgrass 5 4

Orchardgrass 4 3

Pubescent wheatgrass 4 3

Smooth bromegrass 4 3

Tall fescue 4 3

Tall wheatgrass 5 4

Western wheatgrass 4 3

Other:______

(Warm Season Grasses)

Warm Season mixture 6 4

Big/sand bluestem 7 5

Indiangrass 7 5

Little bluestem 5 4

Sideoats grama 4 3

Switchgrass 7 5

Other:______

1 Minimum grazing height is the average height when leaves are lifted to vertical position.

2 Use these heights for Option A, to approximate 50% utilization when areas are grazed during the entire season.

3 Use these heights for Option B, which requires at least 25 percent of the grazing area be left ungrazed for the entire season for wildlife habitat.

I (We) concur in the grazing provisions outlined in Nebraska Conservation Planning Sheet 12-C. I (We) understand that all requirements are to be followed to meet WHIP contract requirements.

COOPERATOR (Producer): Date:

TECHNICIAN: Date: