GRAND ISLAND - The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program is halfway to a first 13-year increment goal of protecting 10,000 acres of habitat for threatened and endangered birds.
Central Platte Natural Resources District Biologist Mark Czaplewski, vice chairman of the program's Land Advisory Committee, said about 1,917 acres along the river have been purchased, including 356 acres for which there was a closing on Thursday and a 337-acre tract closed on last week. He told the CPNRD directors Thursday in Grand Island that those are the sixth and seventh parcels purchased.
Combined with Nebraska Public Power District's 2,650-acre Cottonwood Ranch between Elm Creek and Overton and Wyoming's 455 acres southeast of Kearney, the total now is 5,022 habitat acres.
The Platte program goal is to protect habitat and river flows in central Nebraska that are important to least terns, piping plovers and whooping cranes, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. A basin program allows entities with federal licenses, permits or funding in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska to be in ESA compliance.
CPNRD Director Scott Woodman of Kenesaw, who is Land Advisory Committee chairman, said the goal is to have habitat "complexes" of 2,000 to 4,000 acres along the river between bridges. "For a couple of bridge segments, they are there," Czaplewski added.
Czaplewski said there have been only land sales from private owners so far, but program acres also may come from perpetual leases and conservation easements. Some tracts may be farther from the river, he said, such as sand and gravel pits used by nesting terns and plovers or wet meadows used by whooping cranes.
The board approved Czaplewski and Director Bob Schanou of Shelton as the CPNRD's land committee representatives. Woodman is on the committee as a joint Central Platte-Tri-Basin NRD representative.
Czaplewski was asked Thursday if U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies of the Platte River caddisfly could affect the program's habitat management.
He said the Platte River species is different enough from other caddisflies to cause USFWS officials to initiate studies that could lead to a decision about possible federal protection in 12 to 18 months.
Too little is known about the tiny insect now to determine its potential effects on habitat management. Czaplewski said there could be concerns about herbicide use on nearby crops or by habitat managers trying to control invasive species along the river. Tree removal methods in sloughs also might have to change.
He said it originally was thought that Platte River caddisflies were only in sloughs between Kearney and Grand Island, but they also have been identified in the Loup and North Platte basins.
Cuts to six state conservation program funds as part of the Legislature's budget balancing plan were discussed Thursday. Directors Ladd Reeves of Archer and Dick Mercer of Kearney said they learned at this week's Natural Resources Commission meeting that funds will be cut in half now, another 2.5 percent in 2010 and an additional 5 percent in 2011.
Reeves said the CPNRD will lose $12,700 this year in soil and water conservation program funds. The range of cuts for other NRDs is zero to more than $100,000, he said.
The Resources Development Fund will drop from a $4.2 million carryover to $2.1 million, with money earmarked for "due and payable" project bills. "I think the governor is gonna sign the budget tomorrow (Friday) morning and by noon it (funding for other projects) will be gone," Reeves said.
CPNRD Assistant Manager Milt Moravek said the biggest immediate effect on the district probably will be delays in contracts for work on the $17 million, multi-year Upper Prairie-Silver-Moores Creek Flood Control Project benefiting Hall and Merrick counties.
The directors asked that Moravek and CPNRD Manager Ron Bishop prepare a report on NRD project priorities for the Dec. 17 board meeting. One goal is to see if any money is available to fund more accurate topographical maps of the Prairie Creek watershed, which starts in eastern Buffalo County, drains 400,000 acres and causes flooding in parts of Hall, Merrick, Nance and Platte counties.
Directors Marvion Reichert Jr. of Elm Creek, Woodman and Reeves were elected as a nominating committee to present candidates for secretary and treasurer to the board on Dec. 17. Officer elections will be at the January board meeting.
Current Secretary Jim Bendfeldt of Kearney and Treasurer Jerry Wiese of Grand Island are completing their first two-year terms and are eligible for a second term.
