US Land Life

Nebraska

Buying Land in Blaine County, Nebraska

Blaine County, deep in the Nebraska Sandhills, is one of the state's least-populous counties -- its seat, Brewster, had just 12 residents in the 2020 Census. The most recent record we could find shows the county had adopted a land-use plan but not an actual zoning ordinance. The county sits entirely within one Natural Resources District, and it shares Halsey -- headquarters of the largest hand-planted forest in the Western Hemisphere -- with neighboring Thomas County.

Zoning Status: Plan Adopted, But No Enacted Ordinance as of Last Record Found

Could not confirm

A University of Nebraska College of Law local-government research guide, last updated around May 2020, states that Blaine County had adopted a Comprehensive Plan and had draft zoning regulations prepared to follow it, but had not actually enacted those zoning regulations. That's a real, sourced data point, but it's several years old -- county zoning status can change with a new county board, so confirm current status directly with the Blaine County Clerk's office before assuming either that the county remains unzoned or that regulations have since been adopted.

One NRD Covers the Entire County

Generally favorable

Blaine County sits entirely within the Upper Loup Natural Resources District, which also covers Hooker, Thomas, McPherson, and Logan Counties in the northwestern Loup River basin. There is no cross-NRD ambiguity for a parcel in this county -- though current well-permit, allocation, and any pumping-restriction rules should still be confirmed directly with the district for a specific parcel.

Shares the Nebraska National Forest (Bessey Ranger District) with Thomas County

Could not confirm

The town of Halsey, headquarters of the Bessey Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest, straddles the Blaine-Thomas county line. At roughly 90,000-plus acres, it's the largest hand-planted forest in the Western Hemisphere, established in 1902 and grown substantially through Civilian Conservation Corps labor during the Depression. This is federal land, not private land available for purchase, but its presence shapes recreation, wildfire risk and management, and local land use near Halsey. We could not confirm what acreage of the forest itself, if any, falls specifically on the Blaine County side of the line versus the Thomas County side -- confirm with the U.S. Forest Service for any parcel near Halsey.

A land-use plan without an enacted zoning ordinance, in one groundwater district

Blaine County appears to sit closer to the "no zoning" end of the range the Nebraska state hub describes than the "real, adopted zoning" end -- though we want to be precise about what we actually found rather than round it off. A University of Nebraska College of Law research guide to Nebraska local government sources, current as of around May 2020, states that Blaine County had enacted a Comprehensive Plan and had zoning regulations drafted to follow that plan, but had not actually enacted the zoning regulations themselves. In practice, that would mean the county has a land-use planning document but no zoning district map, use table, or building-permit process with legal force behind it -- but because that source is several years old and any county board can act to adopt regulations at a later date, this status needs to be reconfirmed directly with the Blaine County Clerk's office (which also serves as Assessor and Register of Deeds here) before you rely on it for a specific parcel.

Groundwater is more straightforward: Blaine County sits entirely within the Upper Loup Natural Resources District, which also covers Hooker, Thomas, McPherson, and Logan Counties across the northwestern half of the roughly 14,200-square-mile Loup River basin, an area bisected by the Calamus, North Loup, Middle Loup, Dismal, and South Loup Rivers. Because the whole county falls under one NRD, there's no ambiguity about which district governs a parcel's groundwater the way there can be in a split county -- but current well-permit, allocation, and any pumping-restriction rules should still be confirmed directly with Upper Loup NRD for a specific parcel.

Halsey and the largest hand-planted forest in the Western Hemisphere

Blaine County's most distinctive geographic feature is one it shares with neighboring Thomas County: the town of Halsey straddles the county line, and Halsey serves as headquarters for the Bessey Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest -- at roughly 90,000-plus acres, described as the largest hand-planted forest in the Western Hemisphere. Every tree in it was deliberately planted, beginning in 1902 at the urging of University of Nebraska botanist Charles E. Bessey, who believed a forest could be established artificially in the Sandhills; much of the planting and infrastructure work was carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s. This stands in sharp contrast to the grass-covered dune landscape that otherwise defines the Sandhills and Blaine County generally.

For a land buyer, the practical relevance is less about the forest itself (it's federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, not available for private purchase) and more about what surrounds it: nearby private parcels can be affected by forest-adjacent wildfire risk and management (a hand-planted pine forest in a semi-arid grassland setting carries real wildfire considerations), recreation-driven land value near Halsey, and any Forest Service easements or access agreements crossing private land nearby. If you're evaluating a parcel near Halsey or the forest boundary, check directly with the Forest Service's Bessey Ranger District office for current wildfire risk designations, defensible-space guidance, and any recorded access easements before you buy.

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Blaine County

We could not confirm a direct phone number for the Upper Loup Natural Resources District or a direct phone number for the Bessey Ranger District office beyond their general web listings -- confirm both directly through their websites before relying on any assumed number. We also could not confirm a dedicated planning/zoning office or a dedicated environmental health/septic-permitting office for Blaine County distinct from the Clerk's office (which the most recent record we found shows also serves as Assessor and Register of Deeds) -- resolve septic requirements directly with the county or Nebraska's statewide Title 124 program.

Wells / Private Water

Upper Loup Natural Resources District

Groundwater well permits, irrigation allocations, and pumping rules for Blaine County, which lies entirely within this district.

Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Blaine County Assessor

Assessed value and property tax questions for a specific parcel.

Phone: (308) 547-2222Email: clerk@blainecounty.ne.govOfficial website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Blaine County Clerk / Register of Deeds

Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel; also confirms current county zoning status and adoption of any regulations since 2020.

Phone: (308) 547-2222Email: clerk@blainecounty.ne.govOfficial website →

Other

Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Ranger District (Halsey)

Wildfire risk, forest boundary, recreation access, and any easement questions for parcels near Halsey or the national forest.

Official website →

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Sources

  1. Blaine - Nebraska Local Government Sources — University of Nebraska College of Law Library (Schmid Law Library research guide) (accessed 2026-09)
  2. Blaine County, Nebraska — Wikipedia (cross-checked against U.S. Census Bureau figures) (accessed 2026-09)
  3. Register of Deeds - Blaine County, Nebraska — Blaine County, Nebraska Government (accessed 2026-09)
  4. Assessor - Blaine County, Nebraska — Blaine County, Nebraska Government (accessed 2026-09)
  5. Upper Loup Natural Resources District — Upper Loup Natural Resources District (accessed 2026-09)
  6. Upper Loup Natural Resources District Voluntary Integrated Management Plan — Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (accessed 2026-09)
  7. Nebraska National Forest (Bessey Ranger District) (Halsey) — Visit Nebraska (Nebraska Tourism Commission) (accessed 2026-09)
  8. Nebraska National Forest - Bessey Ranger District - Halsey — U.S. Forest Service (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09