MINUTES OF THE
NEBRASKA NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMISSION MEETING
MAY 22, 2003
Those
in attendance were:
Roger
Korell, Chair Ron
Fleecs
Jim
Van Marter, Member Marlin
Petermann
Wayne
Madsen, Member John
Miyoshi
Don
Roberts, Member Mike
Murren
Robert
Hahn, Member Nelson
Carpenter
Garry
Anderson, Member Mike
Sotak
Richard
Hadenfeldt, Member Tom
Mountford
Vince
Kramper, Member Scott
Nelson
Beverly
Donaldson, Member Bob
Hilske
Richard
Jiskra, Member Mike Onnen
Joseph
Hergott, Member Glenn
Johnson
Arlond
Garratt, Member Roger
Patterson, Director
Clint
Johannes , Member Tom Pesek, Staff
LeRoy
Pieper, Member Dave Vogler, Staff
Dan
Watermeier, Member Gayle
Starr, Staff
Steve
Oltmans
Commission
Chair, Roger Korell, called the meeting to order in the conference room of the
Lower Platte South NRD in Lincoln, Nebraska, at approximately 10:30 a.m.
Notice
of the meeting was placed in the LINCOLN JOURNAL & STAR on May 15, 2003,
notifying the public of the meeting.
The
following items of informational material were distributed during the course of
the meeting and a copy of each is attached to the file copy of the minutes.
1.
Exhibit
B – NRDF Project Components and Request for FY 2004 Funds.
2.
Water
Well Decommissioning Cash Fund Summary.
3.
Nebraska
Resources Development Fund Present Financial Status.
4.
Status
of Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund
5.
Soil
& Water Conservation Fund – Expenditures by Month, 1995-2003.
6.
Republican
Basin Water Meter Program status report.
7.
Natural
Resources Water Quality Fund Distributions
8.
NRCS
Report to the NNRC and NARD.
Motion
was made by Kramper and seconded by Van Marter to approve the minutes of the
March
27, 2003, Commission meeting as distributed.
Motion carried.
Aye: Watermeier, Madsen, Van Marter, Johannes, Hahn, Roberts,
Donaldson, Hadenfeldt, Hergott, Anderson, Garratt, Kramper, Jiskra, Pieper,
Korell
Nay: None
Not
Present: Davis
Gayle
Starr noted that an expenditure report covering the various funds for the
months of March and April 2003 had been distributed to Commission members.
Vince
Kramper noted that NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick had to be at another
meeting but had asked him to distribute a report to the Commission, which
covered several topics relative to current NRCS activities.
Roger Patterson noted that the water supply along the North Platte River had improved to the point where the May 1 estimate by the Bureau of Reclamation was that about a 90 percent water supply would be available in that area. He added that while there had been some recent good rains in the Republican Basin, the water supply for surface water projects in that basin was very limited with several irrigation projects providing only a minimal water supply or a supply to only a portion of their area.
Vince Kramper noted that the next meeting of the Trust was July 30 and 31 in South Sioux City. He added that the Environmental Trust Board was reviewing the criteria being used to evaluate applications and was looking for public input on that topic. He also added that the Board was considering ways to improve the public awareness of the Environmental Trust.
WATER POLICY
TASK FORCE
Roger Patterson noted that the Task Force is continuing to meet and is soon to consider some of the more difficult questions they will need to address. He added that he is optimistic that the Task Force can arrive at some recommendations to be finalized by their deadline at the end of the current calendar year.
Robert Hahn indicated that Tom Pesek had reviewed the Resources Development Fund status report with the committee and the committee had four separate recommendations involving the Resources Development Fund for Commission consideration.
Hahn
indicated that a draft of the letter to the sponsors of the Ponca Flood Control
Project had been reviewed by the committee.
Motion was made by Hahn and seconded by Kramper to advise the City of
Ponca that it may proceed with an application and feasibility report for the
Ponca Flood Control Project and that it is to address the comments and
questions contained in a letter from the Director of Natural Resources. Motion carried.
Aye: Watermeier, Madsen, Van Marter, Johannes, Hahn, Roberts, Jiskra,
Donaldson, Hadenfeldt, Hergott, Anderson, Garratt, Kramper, Pieper, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Davis
Hahn added that the committee had also reviewed a draft
letter from the Director concerning the Turkey Creek Watershed Project being
sponsored by the Nemaha NRD. Motion
was made by Hahn and seconded by Watermeier to advise the Nemaha NRD that it
may proceed with an application and feasibility report for the Turkey Creek
Watershed Project and that it is to address comments and questions contained in
the letter from the Director of Natural Resources. Motion carried.
Aye: Madsen, Van Marter, Johannes, Hahn, Roberts, Jiskra, Donaldson, Hadenfeldt, Hergott, Anderson, Garratt, Kramper, Pieper, Watermeier, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Davis
Hahn stated that the committee had considered the staff
recommendation to delete the requirement that a ring levee around Camp Ashland
be constructed as a condition for funding the Western Sarpy/Clear Creek
Project. He added that the National
Guard has chosen to not do a ring levee but to do a 50-year levee along the
river on their Camp Ashland property, which would meet the requirements for the
project. Motion was made by Hahn and
seconded by Pieper to rescind the requirement regarding the Camp Ashland ring
levee that was included in the Commission’s approval action on the Western
Sarpy/Clear Creek Project at its meeting on July 25, 2002. Motion carried.
Aye: Van Marter, Johannes, Hahn, Roberts, Jiskra, Donaldson, Hadenfeldt, Hergott, Anderson, Garratt, Kramper, Pieper, Watermeier, Madsen, Korell
Nay: None
Not
Present: Davis
Hahn
explained that Robert Moeller of the Lower Loup NRD had explained to the
committee their request for an increase in their project allocation. Motion was made by Hahn and seconded by
Hadenfeldt to approve the Lower Loup NRD’s request for an increased allocation
of $7,941.78 for component #2 (final design), $63,791.28 for component #4
(construction, structural), and $12,326.58 for component #5 (construction,
recreation), increasing the total project allocation by $84,059.64 from
$535,635.45 to $619,959.09. Motion
carried.
Aye: Johannes, Hahn, Roberts, Jiskra, Donaldson, Hadenfeldt, Hergott,
Anderson, Garratt, Kramper, Pieper, Watermeier, Madsen, Van Marter, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Davis
Hahn indicated that the staff had recommended to the Program Committee that no action be taken with regard to establishing project components and tentatively obligating funds because of the fact that the budget for the Resources Development Fund had not yet been finalized.
Hahn
explained that status reports for the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund, Soil
& Water Conservation Fund, and Water Well Decommissioning Fund had been
provided to Commission members and reviewed by the staff at the committee
meeting.
Dave Vogler indicated that the only item of legislation that had been passed since the last Commission meeting of interest to the department was LB 619, which had been amended to add a number of provisions relating to natural resources that had previously been contained in other bills. He briefly reviewed each of the provisions that were included in LB 619.
Gayle
Starr briefly reviewed the budget situation for the upcoming biennium
indicating that the Legislature has passed a budget bill and a tax increase
bill and forwarded them to the Governor and he has indicated he would act on
the bill by Monday, May 26.
The
next meeting of the Commission will be July 8 & 9 in Chadron. Gayle Starr briefly reviewed the
arrangements for the meeting that have been made by the Upper Niobrara-White
NRD.
The
meeting was adjourned at approximately noon.
____________________________________ _____________________________________
Chair Director of Natural Resources