MINUTES OF THE
NEBRASKA NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMISSION MEETING
January 28, 2004
Those in attendance were:
Roger Korell, Chair Arlond
Garrat, Member
Beverly Donaldson, Member Clint Johannes, Member
Vince Kramper, Member Milton Moravek
Dan Watermeier, Member Scott Nelson
Wayne Madsen, Member Artis
Fisher
Jim Van Marter, Member Marlin Petermann
Richard Jiskra, Member Pat Teer
Joe Hergott, Member Roger
Patterson, Director
Don Roberts, Member Jim
Cook, Staff
Robert Hahn, Member Tom
Pesek, Staff
Richard Hadenfeldt, Member Gayle Starr, Staff
Garry Anderson, Member
CALL TO ORDER
Commission Chair Roger
Korell called the meeting to order at 1:30 PM in a conference room at the
Embassy Suites hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska.
NOTICE OF THE MEETING
Notice of the meeting was placed
in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR on January 21, 2004, notifying the public of the
meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL
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.
Nebraska
Resources Development Fund Present Financial Status.
2.
Status
of Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund.
3.
Natural
Resources Districts – Summary of 2003-2004 Budgets.
4.
Soil
and Water Conservation Fund Report.
5.
Water
Well Decommissioning Fund Allocations.
5.
Natural
Resources Water Quality Fund Receipts.
6.
Soil
and Water Conservation Fund Report – Republican Basin Water Meter Program.
7.
Expenditures
for November and December 2003.
8.
Natural
Resources Conservation Service Report
MINUTES
Motion was made by Kramper
and seconded by Roberts to approve the minutes of the
November 20, 2003,
Commission meeting as distributed. Motion carried.
Aye: Garratt, Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott, Jiskra,
Watermeier, Van Marter, Madsen, Kramper, Donaldson, Hahn, Roberts, Korell
Nay: None
Not
Present: Pieper, Davis
EXPENDITURES
It was noted that the expenditure report for
November and December, 2003, covering the various funds was mailed to
Commission members.
ADVISOR’S COMMENTS
Steve Chick, Natural Resources Conservation Service State
Conservationist, distributed a report. He briefly reported on conservation
funding for the current fiscal year, the proposed rules for the conservation
security program, watershed rehabilitation, and NRCS reorganization
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Patterson explained that the state has been working
with the other states and the federal government as well as the Papio-Missouri
River NRD in trying to resolve issues regarding Missouri River flows and that
some progress has been made. He added
that one of the mitigation measures that will likely be necessary is providing
for some pallid sturgeon habitat in some locations along the River. Patterson said that the Environmental Impact
Statement prepared by the Fish & Wildlife Service regarding Platte River
flows has been released with a comment period extending until early April.
With respect to the Republican River he explained
that the four NRDs involved and department staff are working extensively on the
requirements of the settlement. He
added that funds already available and additional funds that hopefully will be
available from either the Environmental Trust or the Bureau of Reclamation will
allow for cost-sharing on meters on all high capacity wells within the Basin.
He noted that
the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District had solicited offers
from irrigators as to how much payment they would take not to be delivering
water this year and that they would be accepting some of those bids in order to
reduce their water requirements this year. He added that there may be some
federal funds available to financially assist them in that process.
ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST
Vince Kramper
noted that the Environmental Trust had received the recommendations of their
rating committee at their January 6 meeting and that a hearing and final
decision on their grant awards would be held at their meeting on January
29. He added that 6 million dollars
would be utilized for grants with about 3 million dollars reserved for the second
or third years of grants already approved and 3 million dollars for new
grants. He noted that the total
requests this year were for approximately 30 million dollars.
PROGRAM
COMMITTEE
Tom Pesek noted that the
Resources Development Fund financial status report had been distributed and he
briefly reviewed the various projects. Milton Moravek, representing Central
Platte Natural Resources District, provided a power point presentation and
discussion of the Lower Wood River/Warm Slough Project noting that the project
was virtually complete with the exception of some seeding and other minor work
and indicated that a completion ceremony would likely be held by the sponsors
sometime this spring. He also explained
that they had acquired several parcels of lands for the project and that those
parcels will now be sold and the Commission will receive their proportionate
share of the sale proceeds.
Tom Pesek distributed the
status report of the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund and briefly reviewed
it. Pesek introduced Scott Nelson, Assistant
Manager of the Nemaha Natural Resources District, who described their request
for cost-share on two agreements involved with Middle Big Nemaha Site 4. Motion was made by Watermeier and
seconded by Jiskra that the Commission approve
(1)
the agreement with Johnson County Rural Water District #1 and commit
50% of $26,730.20 or $13,365.10 for easement, and
(2)
the agreement with Johnson County and commit 50% of $16,632.00 or
$8,316.00 for easement,
both at
Site 4 of the Middle Big Nemaha Watershed.
Motion carried.
Aye: Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott,
Jiskra, Watermeier, Van Marter, Madsen, Kramper, Donaldson, Hahn, Roberts,
Garrat, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Pieper, Davis
Gayle Starr noted that the
status report for the Soil & Water Conservation Fund, Republican Basin
Water Meter Fund, Natural Resources Water Quality Fund, and the Water Well
Decommissioning Fund had been distributed to Commission members. He briefly reviewed the reports and noted
that Natural Resources Water Quality funds may not be available in the total
amount of $1,250,000 as originally estimated.
LEGISLATIVE & BUDGET
COMMITTEE
Gayle Starr explained that the Governor and the
Legislature are addressing the budget shortfall issue and that depending upon a
number of issues, including the projections of the economic forecasting board
later in February the shortfall that they need to deal with may change
significantly. He added that Governor
Johanns has sumitted his recommendations to the Legislature in the form of LB
1089 which includes a 2.5 percent cut in operating funds for the department in
the next fiscal year, a one percent reduction in the Resources Development
Fund, a 2.5 percent reduction in the
Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund and the Soil and Water Conservation Fund,
but no reduction in the funds available for the implementation of the
Republican River and North Platte River settlements.
Jim Cook reviewed each of the following proposed
legislative bills and responded to a number of questions regarding each:
LB 829 (DNR Director Qualifications)
LB 833 (Continue
Water Policy Task Force)
LB 895* (NRD
Levy and Budget Lid Exception for Groundwater Management – 1.8 cents)
LB 935 (Irrrigated
Land Valuation – surface water or groundwater?)
LB 962* (Water
Policy Task Force Bill)
LB 1042 (2nd
Class City and Village Regulation of Pollution of Water Supplies)
LB 1134* (Water
Resources Trust Fund – 1/50 cent)
LB 1172 (Municipal
Transfers into Moratorium Areas)
LB 1173 (Municipal
Well Fields – Spacing Protection)
LB 1232 (NRD
Agreements and Landowners)
LB 209CA (Lottery
– 10% to State Fair)
* Water Policy Task Force bills
Motion was made by Anderson and seconded by Van
Marter to support LB 962 and LB 1135.
Aye: Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott, Jiskra, Watermeier, Van Marter,
Madsen, Kramper, Donaldson, Hahn, Roberts, Garrett, Johannes, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Pieper, Davis
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING
COMMITTEE
Gayle Starr explained that Steve Gaul was unable to
attend today’s meeting because of some other commitments. He noted that most of the current activities
of the Planning and Assistance
Division related to programs that have already been
discussed, including the Missouri River, the Platte River, the North Platte
River settlement, the Republican River settlement, and streamgaging. Starr added that at the last meeting
Mahendra Bansal had noted that Commission members would be provided a
demonstration of on-line GIS capabilities but because of the location of the
meeting this time at the Embassy Suites it would have been difficult to do
that; therefore that demonstration will be delayed until the next meeting.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Motion was made by Jiskra and seconded by Anderson to
nominate Beverly Donaldson as Commission Chair and to cast a unanimous ballot
for Beverly Donaldson. Motion carried.
Aye: Anderson, Hergott, Jiskra, Watermeier, Van Marter, Madsen,
Kramper, Donldson, Hahn, Roberts, Garratt, Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Pieper, Davis
Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Jiskra to
nominate Jim Van Marter for Commission Vice Chair and to cast a unanimous
ballot for Jim Van Marter. Motion
carried.
Aye: Jiskra,
Watermeier, Van Marter, Madsen, Kramper, Donaldson, Hahn, Roberts, Garrett, Johannes, Hadenfeldt,
Anderson, Hergott, Korell
Nay: None
Not Present: Pieper,
Davis
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Beverly Donaldson noted that she would prepare a
draft committee assignment list and have the staff distribute that to all
Commission members.
2004 MEETING DATES
Motion
was made by Kramper and seconded by Jiskra to adopt the following meeting dates
for the coming year: March 24-25; May
19-20; July 20-21 (York); Sept. 28 (Kearney); Nov. 17-18;
January
26, 2005. Motion carried.
Aye: Jiskra,
Watermeier, VanMarter, Madsen, Kramper, Donaldson, Hahn, Roberts, Garratt,
Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott, Korell
Nay: None
Not
Present: Pieper, Davis
Gayle
Starr noted that it was being proposed that the July meeting be held in York
and that he would be working with Richard Jiskra and the NRD to make
arrangements.
ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting was adjourned at approximately 3:30 p.m.
_____________________________________ ______________________________________ Director of Natural Resources Chair