LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska’s roadside ditches could look a little shaggier in coming years if a proposal backed by conservationists and sportsmen becomes law, but some county officials said they’re worried about maintaining visibility on roads.
The measure set for a hearing Monday would prohibit counties and townships from mowing ditches before July 1.
Outdoor groups say mowing less frequently would create new habitats for quail, pheasants and other upland hunting birds, reduce soil erosion and runoff, and ease the workload for landowners and county officials. The bill by Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson would still allow landowners and counties to mow ditches and clear snow when necessary to ensure necessary visibility for motorists.
“It’s going to discourage counties from mowing too early” and damaging the habitats, Friesen said.
Current state law requires mowing at least twice a year. When property owners fail to maintain their land along public roads, counties can do the job and bill them.
Hunting enthusiasts see the measure as a priority in this year’s legislative session, said Scott Smathers, executive director of the Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation. Smathers called the bill a “win-win-win” because it would benefit counties, property owners and conservationists.
“Counties don’t want to have to mow and bill and landowners don’t like being told what to do,” Smathers said. “When you mow, you’ve lost a valuable brood habitat.”
Smathers said many of the ditch weeds serve as food for pollinators and songbirds that help sustain the larger ecosystem. And during the 2012 drought, he said, the weeds were frequently used as emergency feed for cattle in the midst of a statewide shortage.
A group representing Nebraska counties plans to remain neutral on the measure as long as it includes a provision that allows mowing when driver safety is an issue.
“We don’t know that anything is broken in current state statute,” said Larry Dix, executive director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials.
Dix said his member counties recognize the need to promote bird habitats, but he argued that weather and land conditions vary widely in different parts of the state. Western Nebraska has a drier climate with more open pastures, while eastern Nebraska has heavier rain and deeper ditches that are difficult to mow.
“The best times to mow in the eastern part of the state may not be good times in the western parts of the state,” he said.
Changing the current law doesn’t sit well with Platte County Supervisor Ron Pfeifer, who sits on a committee that oversees county roads and bridges. Pfeifer said he’s concerned the law could cause county officials to miss an overgrown area that poses a safety risk at an intersection or an area where deer roam.
“We just need to enforce what we have now,” Pfeifer said. “There are plenty of acres of grass and trees and such to take care of wildlife. In the fall, when deer are moving, you may not have very much time to see them.”
Lawmakers considered a similar measure in 2015 that would have given counties more discretion over when they mow roadsides, but it died in committee. Friesen, the chairman of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, said the 2015 measure stalled because it was too complicated and created confusion among counties.
A second proposal by Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus would increase the minimum number of times landowners have to trim the grass and weeds on their property to thrice annually. Schumacher said he introduced the bill at the request of county officials in his district. Dix said his group opposes the bill because it could increase county workloads and doesn’t consider the regional weather differences.
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