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Dave Heineman, GovernorBoard of TrusteesDistrict I |
I think spring has sprung. We may get that last snow squall or two, but it shouldn’t last too long. When the annual Husker football red/white game is played you can call it spring. Speaking of the spring scrimmage, I know I’m not the only crazy fan out there, because there were 77,759 others joining me to watch a football practice. Some Big 12 schools only get a couple thousand fans at their scrimmage. The Trust awarded a record $15, 065,944 on April 2nd. Be sure and look through the list of projects that were funded this year. It always amazes me the great diversity and the innovative grants we receive. We had over $52,000,000 requested, so there were many worthwhile projects that did not get funded and some great projects that were not fully funded. The Trust hosted Grantee Seminars across the State for grantees who received grants this year. It was great to get out and meet many of the grantees. We had meetings in Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte and Grand Island. It was a good opportunity to provide grantees with information about the grant process, changes in reporting requirements and publicity of projects. Grantees were able to network with each other and learn more about each others projects. The Legislature is about 75 percent through their 90-day session with June 4th scheduled as their last day this year. There are many bills concerning natural resources that have not received any floor debate yet along with many contentious issues as well as budgetary issues to be resolved. The Trust will be holding a forum this summer at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Kearney on Friday, June 26th to discuss our funding categories. Every five years the Trust develops funding categories with public input. The Trust board focuses on areas which “promise the greatest opportunities for effective action to achieve and preserve the future environmental quality in the state.” More details will be announced in the near future on the funding categories and public input. Mark Brohman
At a meeting in Lincoln on April 2, the board of the Nebraska Environmental Trust announced that 82 projects will receive $15,065,944 in lottery proceeds for natural resource work in Nebraska. This is the 16th year of grants from the Trust, which has provided over $142 million dollars in lottery revenue to preserve and protect the air, water and land of our state. Some of the projects receiving funding include:
A complete listing of all approved 2009 grants can be found on the Nebraska Environmental Trust web site at www.environmentaltrust.org.
The Nebraska Environmental Trust awarded a total of $5,500 to three Public Information and Education (PIE) MiniGrants at its board meeting that took place on April 2, 2009. Four MiniGrant applications were received for the 2009 – 2nd Quarter PIE MiniGrants requesting a total of $9,744. This is the second round of awards for 2009. The following projects were awarded MiniGrants:
The PIE grants are limited to $2,500 and are awarded quarterly. They were created as a MiniGrant program for public information and education projects. They support the presentation and dissemination of information and perspectives that stimulate enhanced environmental stewardship in any category eligible for Trust funding. This grant program seeks to expand dialogue on important current conservation topics and to provide information on emerging or highly useful conservation methods. For a listing of the final PIE MiniGrants, visit: www.environmentaltrust.orgThe MiniGrants program will be taken over by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences but no due dates have been established as of yet. The Trust has one more cycle of these grants to administrate, of which the due date will be May, 22, 2009. Stay tuned to the Trust for more information on the MiniGrants.
The series of Grantee Seminars successfully concluded on April 13, 2009 with over 100 grantees attending the seminars in four different locations across the state of Nebraska. The seminars were held in Lincoln, Grand Island, Norfolk and North Platte. The Trust was honored to have Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy attend the seminar in Lincoln and Senators, Robert Giese and Tom Hansen attend the seminars in Norfolk and North Platte respectively.
As part of an extensive restoration project funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Willa Cather Foundation will burn 200 acres of the 608-acre Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. The Red Cloud Volunteer Fire Department will facilitate the burn, which is set to take place sometime between April 17th and May 1st. A two-week time window is set due to the burn being dependent upon weather conditions. Three 200-acre burns are scheduled to take place over the next three years. This is especially significant because the prairie hasn’t seen a prescribed burn in over fifteen years. In practice with preferential grazing, prescribed patch-burning will reduce noxious weeds and promote a diversity of native plant species. Other benefits include increased nitrogen availability in the soil and the creation of diverse habitats for animal species. The prairie restoration project is designed to return the land to its native state and is funded largely by a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Design of the project includes salvaging natural springs, restoring the native prairie ecology, cutting trails, and marking plants. In 2006, the Nature Conservancy deeded the prairie to the Willa Cather Foundation in order to restore and conserve the rare native grasses, plant life, and wildlife of its delicate ecology. The area is classified as loess, mixed grass prairie, and its rarity lies in the fact that it has never been plowed. For more information about the prairie and the restoration process, visit: www.WillaCather.org
(Photo and Article submitted by Ashley Nolan)
(Brad Mellema, Executive Director, Crane Meadows Nature Center) The Crane Meadows Nature Center Board has announced the hiring of Brad Mellema as its new Executive Director. Brad began his duties effective April 1, 2009 and brings a broad background of experience to the position. Most recently Brad was Director of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary. Prior to that he worked for the University of Nebraska as Director of the State 4-H Camp near Halsey. “We want to provide a place for people to come and learn about Nebraska’s natural heritage, in particular the Platte River Valley,” said Mellema. He currently lives with his family in Axtell. Crane Meadows has entered into several partnerships that will allow them to operate as a nature and visitor center on a year-round basis. They were awarded a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust that will provide a base-funding source for a period of three years. Other major partners include the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Hastings College, and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. Along with numerous private supporters, Crane Meadows Nature Center will work to provide a place from which people of all ages can connect to nature. The temporary visitor center operated by the Grand Island Visitors Bureau at the site closed April 15th. “We are excited to open the doors as a year-round facility early this summer,” Mellema said. “Stay tuned for several other announcements regarding the center in the next few months, including new branding and a name change.” He also stated, “A lot of people have worked hard over the years to build a great facility on I-80. Board members Cal Johnson and Ted Schroeder have picked up the ball and worked tirelessly to help set this organization up for success.” The partnerships and business model will make for a vibrant nature and visitor center. (Photo and article courtesy of Brad Mellema, Crane Meadows Nature Center)
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