Governor Pillen has updated his statewide burn ban to include an exception of irrigation districts ...

Governor Pillen has updated his statewide burn ban to include an exception of irrigation districts in central and western Nebraska. This change comes from growing concerns from producers in western Nebraska where controlled ditch burns are crucial to maintaining water flow and irrigation water access.

Under the revised executive order, fire chiefs are now authorized to grant burn permits to irrigation districts to allow vegetation to be cleared from ditches. With more than seven million irrigated acres in Nebraska, the majority located in central and western regions, clearing vegetation from ditches is crucial for an area heavily dependent on maintaining water flow for crops and livestock.

Scotts Bluff County Farm Bureau member Andy Groskopf emphasized the importance of the exception by stating, "These ditches are the lifeblood of our communities and western Nebraska. For producers in this region, this exception made by Governor Pillen isn't just helpful- it means everything to our livelihood."

Governor Pillen's initial burn ban, which suspended all burn permits due to extreme dry conditions and wildfire risks, raised serious concerns among western Nebraska producers due to no longer being able to maintain overgrown vegetation in irrigation ditches that are critical for water flow. Producers shared those concerns with their County Farm Bureau and Nebraska Farm Bureau, which then communicated those concerns to state agencies.

Groskopf highlighted the importance of the exception again by explaining, "If we can't burn these ditches now, everything else in production gets delayed. And if the day comes when we can't burn at all, some farms simply won't be able to irrigate. That kind of setback would be devastating for individual producers."

Governor Pillen's executive order specifies that burning is only permitted within the boundaries of a surface water irrigation canal that is owned, titled to, or operated by an irrigation district. Each permitted burn must also be supervised on-site by the permitting authority. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, much most of the state is listed in either moderate or severe drought, which some areas in extreme drought. This new exception to the burn ban aims to balance the safety and protection of our state with the needs of the agriculture industry.