Invasive Weeds Threaten Nebraska’s Wildfire Recovery

The plants could crowd out vegetation needed for cattle grazing as burned grasslands recover.

LINCOLN, Neb. (RFD-TV) — After wildfires burned nearly 1 million acres in Nebraska this year, ranchers are now dealing with invasive plants that threaten the recovery of their grasslands.

Gary Stone, an extension educator with the University of Nebraska, says invasive plants can crowd out vegetation needed for cattle grazing.

“These could have come in through forages that ranchers and other states have given us to help the ranchers in the sandhills after the burn to feed their livestock.”

Stone says early detection is important to prevent noxious weeds from becoming established and spreading across grazing land.

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Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD-TV and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


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