MINUTES OF THE
NEBRASKA NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 28, 2004
Those
in attendance were:
Beverly
Donaldson, Chair Wayne
Davis, Member
Dan
Watermeier, Member Garry
Anderson, Member
Vince
Kramper, Member Richard
Hadenfeldt, Member
Clint
Johannes, Member Arlond Garratt, Member
Dick
Jiskra, Member Steve
Chick
Joe
Hergott, Member Marlin
Petermann
Jim
Van Marter, Member Ken
Berney
Wayne
Madsen, Member Milton
Moravek
Roger
Korell, Member Roger
Patterson, Director
Don
Roberts, Member Jim
Cook, Staff
Keith
Rexroth, Member Tom Pesek, Staff
LeRoy
Pieper, Member Gayle Starr, Staff
The
meeting was called to order by Commission Chair, Beverly Donaldson, in the
board room of the Holiday Inn in Kearney, Nebraska, at approximately 2:15 p.m.
Notice
of the meeting was placed in the LINCOLN JOURNAL & STAR and the KEARNEY HUB
on September 21, 2004, 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.
Water
Well Decommissioning Cash Fund Summary.
2.
Nebraska
Resources Development Fund Present Financial Status.
3.
Status
of Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund
4.
Soil
& Water Conservation Fund – Expenditures by Month, 1995-2004.
5.
Republican
Basin Water Meter Program status report.
6.
Natural
Resources Water Quality Fund Distributions
7.
Fiscal
Year 2003-2004 Water Well Decommissioning Fund Distributions by NRD.
8.
Director’s
Recommendation on the Upper Prairie/Silver/Moores Creek Flood Control Project,
CPNRD.
9.
DNR
Fund Expenditures for July & August, 2004.
10.
NRCS
Report to the NNRC and NARD.
Motion
was made by Kramper and seconded by Korell to approve the minutes of the July
21, 2004, Commission meeting as distributed.
Motion carried.
Aye: Kramper, Pieper, Davis, Hadenfeldt, Jiskra, Korell, Rexroth, Van
Marter, Donaldson
Nay: None
Not
Present:
Roberts, Johannes, Anderson, Hergott, Watermeier, Madsen
Abstain: Garratt
It
was noted that the expenditure report for July and August 2004 had been
distributed to Commission members.
Tom Pesek distributed the Resources Development Fund financial status report and reviewed the information in the report.
Pesek distributed the recommendation of the Director of Natural Resources on the Upper Prairie/Silver/Moores Creek Resources Development Fund project. It was noted that the Director’s recommendation was that the cost-share rate for the Resources Development Fund be 60 percent. There was significant discussion about the cost-share rate and the contributions to the project to be made by the NRD, the City of Grand Island, Hall County, and Merrick County. Milton Moravek, representing Central Platte NRD, briefly reviewed the project and discussed the cost-share arrangements that had been made with various local entities. It was noted that action on this item would be on the agenda for the next Commission meeting.
Roger Patterson noted that he and Ann Bleed had prepared an article that was published in the Omaha-World Herald last week describing the inter-action of ground water and suface water. He added that he had received considerable favorable comment on the article and it might appear in some additional newspapers in the state.
Patterson
also explained the activities involved with the implementation of LB 962 and
the fully appropriated and over-appropriated designations that have been made
and the activities of the staff on further implementation of that law and
working with various Natural Resources Districts on ground water management
plans.
Patterson also noted that the state had submitted a CREP application to USDA for portions of the Platte and Republican River Basins for 100,000 acres equally divided among the two basins. He explained that this would require land to be converted from irrigation to grassland or other wildlife habitat in exchange for an annual payment over 10 or 15 years. He added that the state was hopeful of receiving approval before too many months.
Vince Kramper noted the Trust had recently approved about nine million dollars for new and on-going grants and that 108 applications have been received for 2005 funding. Kramper also noted that a proposal would be on the General election ballot this fall that would provide that ten percent of lottery proceeds would go to operation of the Nebraska State Fair.
PROGRAM
COMMITTEE (CONTINUED)
Tom Pesek briefly reviewed the status of the Small
Watersheds Flood Control Fund. He then
distributed summary information on two bids that had been received for
auctioneer services for the sale of the 149.8 acre tract at Middle Big Nemaha
Site 88. It was noted that the bids
were virtually identical. Pesek and
Starr explained the services that each auctioneer was proposing and the staff
recommended that the Commission approve the bid of Bernard Auctioneers of
Auburn. Motion was made by Jiskra
and seconded by Davis to approve Bernard Auctioneers of Auburn to provide the
auctioneer services for the sale of the
149.8 acre tract at Middle Big Nemaha Site 88 next January. Motion carried.
Aye: Madsen, Kramper, Pieper, Roberts, Davis, Garratt, Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott,
Jiskra, Korell, Rexroth, Donaldson
Nay: None
Not Present: Watermeier
Tom Pesek and Marlin Petermann, Assistant Manager of the
Papio-Missouri River NRD, reviewed the request of the NRD to retain seven
tracts along Big Papillion Creek.
Petermann described the project and noted that the tracts acquired were
small in nature and would be primarily used to accommodate a hiking-biking
trail to be constructed. It was noted
that the parcels had been appraised at
$32,525 and because the Commission participated in 50 percent of the
cost of acquisition the Commission would receive $16,262.50 from the NRD. Motion was made by Jiskra and seconded by
Van Marter to approve the request of the Papio-Missouri River NRD to retain seven tracts totaling 11.55
acres associated with the Big Papio Channel at 50% of the appraised value
of $32,525 or $16, 262.50 and to authorize the Director to enter into an agreement
with the NRD regarding the public use of the facts. Motion carried.
Aye: Kramper, Pieper, Roberts, Davis, Garratt, Johannes, Hadenfeldt, Anderson, Hergott, Jiskra,
Korell, Rexroth, Watermeier, Van Marter, Madsen, Donaldson
Nay: None
Not Present: None
Gayle Starr noted that status reports for the Soil & Water Conservation fund, Natural Resources Water Quality Fund, and Water Well Decommission Fund had been distributed to Commission members. He briefly reviewed the reports and responded to questions concerning the three funds.
LEGISLATIVE
& BUDGET COMMITTEE
Jim Cook noted that he was aware of only one piece of legislation that would directly affect the Commission. He explained that would involve legislation that would be as a result of the passage of a resolution by NARD that would provide for the distribution of water well decommissioning funds based on three years of history rather than one year of history, as is the case now. Cook added that the department would be preparing legislation on two specific topics that they would ask to be introduced. He explained that they involved some improvements and clarifications in the state’s dam safety law and some relatively minor clean-up legislation related to LB 962 passed in the last session of the Legislature.
Steve Chick, Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist, handed out a brief report and commented about the wetland reserve program, the EQUIP program in which Nebraska had received two amounts of additional funds this last fiscal year, the Conservation Security Program in the Lower Little Blue Basin and the work that NRCS will be doing regarding Confined Animal Feeding Operations within the State of Nebraska. He noted that a number of feed lot operations will need to be in compliance with EPA requirements by early 2005 and as a result NRCS will likely not be able to assist all of those operators that will be requesting assistance.
The
next meeting of the Commission will be November 17 & 18 at the Lower Platte
South NRD in Lincoln.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:00.m.
____________________________________ _____________________________________
Chair Director of Natural Resources