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Executive Director Corner
The Holidays
have come and gone. If you are like me,
you are still changing those “5s” to “6s” when you date things. It is pretty easy to change a 5 to a 6, but
next year, changing a 6 to a 7 won’t be so easy.
The Grants
Committee rankings are out and posted on our website. There is a link below to also get to the
list. Unfortunately there were a lot of
great projects that did not get funded.
With over $58M in requests, our $18.8M did not go nearly far enough. That recommendation will go to the full board
at the February 4, 2016 meeting and final decisions will be made at the
April 7, 2016 meeting.
The
Legislature is underway and the last day to introduce new bills has
passed. There are two pieces of
legislation directly concerning the Trust.
LB711 sets up a Riparian Vegetation Management Task Force with members
appointed by the Governor. It directs
the Department of Agriculture Director to “apply for a grant from the Nebraska
Environmental Trust Fund”. The other
legislation is LR380CA is a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would reduce
the Trust’s lottery allocation from 44.5% to 26.5% and reduce the State Fair’s
from 10% to 7.5%. The change would
result in approximately a $6M annual loss for the Trust. That is about 1/3 of the Trust’s funds and
would result in 1/3 fewer projects being funded.
The funds from the Trust and the State Fair would be reallocated “for
education as the Legislature may direct”.
This is the
short session (60 days) and is scheduled to end April 20th. Any bills that are not passed at the end of
this session will die and next session is a new two-year cycle with all new
bills being introduced. The Speaker of
the Legislature has indicated that only bills with Priority designations will
be given floor debate time and the session is already 1/6th over, so stay tuned.
Stay safe as
you travel this winter.
Mark Brohman
Executive Director
The Rainwater Basin Joint Venture
will host its 21st Annual Informational Seminar on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the
Midtown Holiday Inn, 2503 S. Locust Street, Grand Island.
The one-day seminar
is an opportunity for landowners, agriculture producers, natural resource
professionals and other interested individuals to learn about and discuss
conservation issues, research and habitat work in the Rainwater Basin and
Nebraska’s mixed-grass prairie region.
Four sessions this year will
explore current pivot system technology and ways to integrate wetlands into
farm operations. Discussions will be led by landowners and by representatives
of irrigation system manufacturers.
Additional discussions will include
conservation projects and opportunities in the Rainwater Basin, Sandhills,
Central Loess Hills and other areas of Nebraska, as well as research on
wildlife habitat and natural resources. The complete agenda is located at http://rwbjv.org
The seminar is open to the public. Registration is available at http://rwbjv.org, or by email at niki.messmer@rwbjv.org, or by phone at
308-382-8112.
A $35 fee, payable at the door, covers all sessions, snacks and
a buffet lunch. Pre-registration by February 1 is requested, to ensure an
adequate lunch count, but registrations will be accepted at the door.
Landowners and agriculture producers are invited to register free of charge and
to enter a drawing to win a $50 Cabela’s gift card.
The Informational Seminar is funded in part by a grant from the Nebraska
Environmental Trust.
The Rainwater Basin Joint Venture is a
public-private partnership composed of conservation agencies, local government
bodies, non-profit organizations and individuals, all cooperating in the
protection and restoration of wetlands and other native habitats in Nebraska’s
Rainwater Basin and mixed-grass prairie
regions.
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2016 Committee Recommendations for Funding Placed In Rank Order
A copy of the 2016 Commitee Recommendations for
Funding Placed in Rank Order has been made available on the Trust
website. To view this list, click on the link below:
2016 Committee Recommendations for Funding Placed In Rank Order
Upcoming Events
- February 9, 2016 (Tuesday), 9:30 am - Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Informational Seminar, Grand Island NE.
- February 4, 2016 (Thursday), 1:30 pm - 1st Quarter Board Meeting, Ferguson House, Lincoln NE.
- March 17 - 20, 2016 - The 46th Annual Audubon Nebraska's Crane Festival, Kearney NE.
- April 7, 2016 (Thursday), 1:30 pm - 2nd Quarter Board Meeting, Ferguson House, Lincoln NE.
- April 16, 2016 (Saturday) - Earth Day Omaha, Omaha NE.
- April 23, 2016 (Saturday) - Lincoln Earth Day, Lincoln NE
- May 10, 2016 (Tuesday) - 8:00am - 4:00pm Nebraska Children's Groundwater Festival, Grand Island NE.
- May 13 - 14, 2016 (Friday - Saturday) - Spring Into Spring at Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha NE.
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