|
Executive Director Corner
2017 has come to an end and if you are like me, you’ve
been changing a lot of 7’s to 8’s when you date things. It will probably be March before I get in the
habit of signing things 2018 and not 2017. Luckily it is very easy to make an 8 out of a 7.
The Grants Committee has made their
recommendations. You can find those
recommendations on our web page and referenced below in this newsletter. The full board will receive the recommendations
at the first quarter board meeting on February 6, 2018. A public hearing will be held on April 5,
2018, and the final funding list will be announced at that time.
The Legislature has gotten underway in the second
session of the 105th Legislature. The
last day to introduce new bills was January 18th (the tenth day of
the session). There were 468 bills
introduced. This is a 60-day session and
will end on April 18th. Last year was a
90-day session and there were 667 bills introduced. There is a proposed Constitutional Amendment
(294CA) that would allow the Legislature to “authorize any game of chance, any
lottery, or any gift enterprise.” This
would allow the Legislature to establish casino gambling and other forms of
gambling with 98% of the revenue going to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund and
2% to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.
For everyone that has been excited about the mountain lion license
plates, there is a bill (LB 1080) that proposes wildlife conservation
plates. It allows up to three plate
designs. The bill states, “The
department shall create no more than three designs reflecting support for the
conservation of Nebraska wildlife, including Sandhill cranes, bighorn sheep,
and rainbow trout.” There is also a lot
of talk about the Governor’s budget bill taking General Funds from the Water
Sustainability Fund, so stay tuned.
To all the Minnesota Vikings fans out there, what a
finish last weekend. With 10 seconds
left the Vikings scored a miraculous touchdown and sent the Saints
packing. Some of the YouTube videos of fans
watching the last 10 seconds of that game are priceless. How about the Husker men’s basketball upset
of number 23 ranked Michigan wolverines?
The Huskers had not beaten them since 1964; I was one year old at the
time. The recruits keep coming for Scott
Frost and the excitement is growing for the Spring Game (now set for April 21st
at 11:00am). I am predicting a sellout. In case you didn’t catch it, former Nebraska
soccer player, Haley Hanson was selected 7th overall by the Houston
Dash in the NWSL draft this week.
Have a great 2018!
Mark A.
Brohman
Executive
Director
2018 Grant Committee Recommendations For Funding Placed in Rank Order
A copy of the 2018 Grant Committee Recommendations For Funding Placed in Rank Order can be found below. These recommendations will only be finalized at the board meeting in April.
2018 Grant Committee Recommendations For Funding Placed In Rank Order
2017 Annual Report
The Nebraska Environmental Trust's Annual Report is in the process of being mailed out to Trust contacts. If you would like to view an electronic copy of it, please click the link below:
2017 Nebraska Environmental Trust Annual Report
Working
with students to document swift fox on Nebraska ranches - submitted by Alexis Fedele,
Research Associate
with the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of
Natural Resources, UNL.
In Nebraska the distribution of
swift fox, a priority conservation species, is largely unknown making
management efforts difficult. To
complicate matters, surveying for swift fox requires looking over a staggering 26,000
square miles of western Nebraska for one of the smallest, most elusive
carnivores in North America. The challenges to uncovering information about
swift fox populations are numerous, but also provide potential opportunities to
engage the communities and citizens of Nebraska.
Jenny Dauer and Joseph Fontaine at
the University of Nebraska—Lincoln and Teresa Frink at Chadron State College
worked with conservation partners to develop a program that engages students
and landowners as citizen scientists to help overcome the difficulties
associated with swift fox monitoring and management. Many students from
Nebraska’s colleges and universities have roots in western Nebraska, providing
the opportunity for them to survey for swift fox on family land. Not only does
their effort help them understand more about swift fox, it provides students the
opportunity to learn about conservation and engage in authentic scientific
research. With the support of the Nebraska Environmental Trust, they were able to
bring this project to fruition, with approximately 180 students trained to
date.
The project coordinator, Amanda
Sorensen, feels that the opportunity presented to students who participate in
this research is an invaluable learning experience.
“It is exciting to be
leading this class where students learn by meaningfully contributing to real
scientific research. The students learn about ecology, the complexity of doing
scientific research, how to use scientific data in natural resource
decision-making, and gain practical research skills that they can use in future
professions. This is a new approach to teaching science that can be actively
useful for students, who are getting insight into the process of science, and
researchers, who can broaden the scope of their research with increased data
provided by the students taking the class,” said Sorensen.
With the help of the students from
Chadron State and the University of Nebraska, researchers are learning more
about swift fox and in doing so are helping natural resource professionals meet
the challenges of wildlife management in Nebraska. Researchers and students are
also creating a dialogue with landowners and the public about endangered
species and the future of conservation in Nebraska.
 A swift fox visits a scent station near one of the project’s trail cameras in western Nebraska.
Rainwater Basin Informational Seminar
You are invited to attend the 23rd Annual Rainwater
Basin Joint Venture Informational Seminar being held on Thursday, February 1,
2018. This annual one-day seminar is an opportunity for landowners,
agricultural producers, natural resource professionals, and other interested
individuals to learn about conservation issues, research, and habitat programs
in the Rainwater Basin region.
Below is a link to the flyer detailing the schedule and topics
that will be presented, which includes morning plenary sessions on human
dimensions by Dr. Christopher Chizinski, Assistant Professor of Human
Dimensions of Wildlife Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and TJ
Fontaine, with the U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Cooperative Fish &
Wildlife Unit, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Break-out sessions will
cover a variety of topics, including landowner experiences with conservation
practices, grazing as a management tool, programs available for landowners and
current research being conducted in the Rainwater Basin region, such as the
effects of contaminants on amphibians, upland game birds, wetland
restoration and VRI on net-farm income.
The seminar will be held at the Hotel Grand Conference
Center located at 2503 S. Locust Street, Grand Island.
To register click here or go to our website, www.rwbjv.org, and complete the registration form.
A $40 fee, payable by cash/check at the door or by
filling out a credit card authorization form, covers all sessions, snacks, and
a buffet lunch. Pre-registration by January 25th is
requested to ensure an adequate lunch count however registrations will
be accepted at the door. Landowners and agricultural producers are invited to
register free of charge and to enter a drawing to win a $50 Cabela’s gift card.
If you have registration or payment questions, please
contact Niki Messmer at niki.messmer@rwbjv.org or
call 308-382-8112.
Organizations that wish to host a booth or exhibit at
the seminar may also contact Niki Messmer via e-mail or phone.
Link to Flyer
Upcoming Events
- 23rd Annual Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Informational Seminar - Thursday, February 1, 2018, Hotel
Grand Conference Center, 2305 S. Locust, Grand Island, NE, 8:30 am.
(visit: www.rwbjv.org)
- 1st Quarter Board Meeting - Tuesday, February 6, 2018, Ferguson House, Lincoln NE, 1:30 pm.
- 25 Years of Preservation Work - The Nebraska Environmental Trust, March 19-24, 2018, Rotunda, State Capitol Building, Lincoln NE
- Audubon's Nebraska Crane Festival, March 22-25, 2018, Kearney NE
- 2nd Quarter Board Meeting, Thursday, April 5th, 2018, Ferguson House, Lincoln NE
- Earth Day Omaha, Saturday, April 21st, 2018, Elmwood Park, Omaha NE.
- Lincoln Earth Day, Saturday, April 28th, 2018, Union Plaza Park, Lincoln NE
|
