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Dave Heineman, GovernorBoard of TrusteesDistrict I |
Fall is definitely upon us and the harvest is well under way. We are busy reviewing grant applications. There were 91 new projects and over $52 million in requests this year. We are also getting ready to award Public Information and Education (PIE) grants. It is amazing what applicants are able to do with $2500 or less. We are looking forward to having our 3rd quarter Board Meeting at Mahoney State Park on November 13th. Maybe we’ll catch the end of the fall colors before the trees drop their leaves. The University of Nebraska volleyball team continues to take on all comers and remains undefeated, while the football team struggles, but it has shown some talent at times. Baseball fans are gearing up for the World Series and high school playoffs are just around the corner in football, volleyball and other sports. The elections are coming up, so get out and vote and be part of the democratic process. Mark A. Brohman
Left to right, Lynn Johnson, Director Lincoln Parks and Recreation Dept., Mark Brohman, Executive Director NET, Terry Genrich, Natural Resources Manager Lincoln Parks and Rec. Dept., and City of Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler.The City of Lincoln received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the Prairie Building Addition at the Pioneers Park Nature Center. Part of the new addition was funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the Mayor presented Brohman with a Certification of Appreciation for the Trust’s support of the project on October 16, 2008.
The Glenn Cunningham Lake Restoration project, initiated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), is the realization of a key recommendation of the Community-Based Watershed Management Plan for Glenn Cunningham Lake. The Plan, sponsored by the Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property, was developed by a team of agency representatives, residents, landowners and concerned citizens. Shortly before completion of the Plan in June 2005, the NGPC began the massive undertaking of restoring the aquatic habitat and fishery at the Lake, the largest project identified in the Plan. The City of Omaha Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department applied for and received $500,000 in Nebraska Environmental Trust funds to assist in funding the $5.4 million project. This project was designed not only to improve and create aquatic and wetland habitat, but also to improve and protect the water quality of the lake. Total drawdown of Cunningham Lake began in April, 2006 to allow time for the basin to dry out prior to beginning construction activities. Design and engineering were underway by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and their consultant, Olsson Associates. Construction began on April 9, 2007 and proceeded without any major problems or delays. The plan contained numerous aquatic habitat and water quality improvements:
Construction was completed and accepted on May 1, 2008. The tangible results of this project are significant:
Phase II of the project, currently underway, consists of construction of a weir and excavation to increase sediment storage areas north of the Lake. This will ensure that the Lake will maintain the improved water quality and habitat resulting from the in-lake project. The City of Omaha looks forward to celebrating these successes in Spring of 2009 when the Glenn Cunningham Lake and Recreation area will formally be reopened to the public.
Looking north across the Platte River from the Shanahan Easement In his 1921 book Prairie Smoke: A Collection of Lore of the Prairies, ethnologist Melvin R. Gilmore wrote, “Each of the nations and tribes of Indians had certain places within its own domain which they regarded as sacred…Within the ancient domain of the Pawnee nation…there is a cycle of five such sacred places. The chief one of these five mystic places is called Pahuk by the Pawnee.” On Friday, September 26th, a group, that included members of the Pawnee tribe from Oklahoma and others visited the Pahaku site, to celebrate a conservation easement between Pat and Nancy Shanahan and the Nebraska Land Trust that will fully protect this sacred place and their 257-acre farm from development. Also known as Pahaku and Pahuk Hill, it is a place where animal spirits dwelled and nearly half the site was preserved in the 1980s by Dr. Louis and Geraldine Gilbert, through a conservation easement with the Nebraska State Historical Society. In gathering baseline biological data for that easement, it was discovered that the bluffs have extraordinary ecological value as well. As oak/hickory woodlands from the eastern United States approach the western limit of their range, the forests narrow into fingers that extend into Nebraska along rivers and streams. In the lower Platte River valley, that finger ends under the bluffs of Pahaku. It is a transition zone, where east meets west. It is also a geological landmark that once stood above an ancient Platte River where it made a sharp turn to the south into what is now the Todd Valley. During this time, rich soils from the valley were picked up by the wind and deposited on top of the bluff, creating some of the most fertile soil in the state. This soil has been farmed by the Shanahan family for over 100 years and the conservation easement will still allow this ground to be farmed in the future. The preservation of such land is a primary goal of the federal Farm and Ranch Protection Program (FRPP), which played a significant role in making this conservation agreement possible. Administered by the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) through grants to conservation organizations like the Nebraska Land Trust, the program can reimburse a landowner for up to 50% of a decrease in property value resulting from the easement’s restrictions on subdivision and development. The Nebraska Environmental Trust was another key partner in funding preservation, providing a $77,280 grant for the easement’s purchase and the Shanahan family also contributed, by donating a significant portion of the easement’s value. The Cooper Foundation of Lincoln also provided funding which helped to jump-start the project. In his remarks at the dedication, NLT Executive Director Dave Sands recognized the exceptional natural, historical, and agricultural resources that the conservation easement will preserve, but he said that preservation of Pahaku was also about people. “It is about Pat and Nancy Shanahan, who made the permanent protection of this land possible. It is about generations of Pawnee who revered this place as sacred. It is about all of the people who have come to love this place since, many of whom are here today.” In addition to the funding partners, Sands recognized the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and several volunteers who helped with the project. Sands concluded his remarks by pointing out that “Pahaku is many things: sacred ground, an ecological treasure, a productive farm. But most of all, it is a rare place that links all of us to the past and the future, like a thread running through history, woven into many lives. Thanks to Pat and Nancy Shanahan and our partners in this effort, it will continue to weave its magic through generations to come.”
Halleck Park Lake Restoration and Enhancement Nebraska’s Community Lake Enhancement and Restoration (CLEAR) Program is designed to bring small community lakes back to a healthy and vibrant ecological state. The CLEAR Program was developed in 2000 by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ), Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The CLEAR Team, which is comprised of representatives from the three entities, brings expertise in water quality, fisheries management, and education to communities seeking to improve their lakes. The program was designed to provide a one-stop process for communities to secure funds for their project. The involvement of the community is a critical element in the partnership. Communities coordinate the restoration efforts with the assistance of appropriate partners. Public support is the driving force behind each project, although the level of involvement varies from one community to the next. For most of the projects, local elementary and high school teachers have been involved in educational activities related to water quality and lake management. The primary sources of project funding include the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/NDEQ Clean Water Act Section 319, and the communities themselves. In 2001, the Team secured a master grant of $1,850,000 from the NET and $710,000 from EPA/NDEQ to create a joint funding pool from which individual projects could be developed. The Team requested and received additional ET funds ($1,050,000) and Section 319 funds ($802,000) in 2005 to extend the program to other communities. Communities were required to provide 15 percent of the total project cost. Total expenditures for both CLEAR grants include $2,900,000 NET funds, $1,512,000 Section 319 funds and $850,000 as cash and in-kind services by the local communities totaling $5,262,000. The CLEAR Program has completed projects in 23 communities to date. In addition, the CLEAR Team used other resources to assist three other communities in implementing similar projects that did not meet the strict qualifying conditions for the CLEAR program. Overall, small community lake projects funded through CLEAR resulted in significant water quality benefits. On average, total phosphorus decreased by 62%, turbidity decreased by 42%, total nitrogen decreased by 65%, chlorophyll decreased by 17%, and water clarity improved by 515%. In addition to improving water quality, significant side benefits result from CLEAR efforts including educational opportunities for youth, experience for local leaders in working with state and federal programs, and improved aesthetics in the heart of the community. All of the participating communities have reported a significant increase in use of the parks for such things as community events, family reunions, picnicking and especially children fishing in the restored ponds following the restoration projects. The CLEAR Team continues to assist new communities in developing potential projects for their community lakes.
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