MINUTES OF THE NEBRASKA NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 14, 1996 Those in attendance were: Robert Bell, Chair Bill Head Dale Watermeier, Member Steve Chick Don Larson, Member Jerry Mathiasen Glen Kroese, Member John Thorburn Joe Hergott, Member Jim Neneman Richard Jiskra, Member Stan Staab Clifford Welsh, Member Artis Fisher Don Roberts, Member Nick Johnson Richard Mercer, Member Terry Nicholson Robert Gifford, Member Tom Anderson Frank Bartak, Member Dayle Williamson, Director Wayne Davis, Member Jim Cook, Staff Roy Stewart, Member Terry Kubicek, Staff Vince Kramper, Member Tom Pesek, Staff Wilbur Nelson, Member Gayle Starr, Staff CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Robert Bell at approximately 10:35 a.m. in the conference room of the Executive Building at 521 South 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. NOTICE OF THE MEETING Notice of the meeting was placed in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR on June 5, 1996 notifying the public of the meeting. INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL The following items of informational material were distributed during the course of the meeting and a copy of each is attached to the file copy of the minutes. 1. Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund - Projected Funding Requests. 2. Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund - Inventory of Fee Title Lands. 3. Status of Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund. 4. Soil & Water Conservation Fund Status Report. 5. Nebraska Resources Development Fund Quarterly Report. 6. Nebraska Resources Development Fund Present Financial Status, June 12, 1996. 7. SCS Report to NRC and NARD. -2- 8. Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting. 9. Minutes of the Program Committee Meeting. 10. Comprehensive Planning Committee Meeting Minutes. 11. Draft letter to Tom Moser, Lewis & Clark NRD, on Powder Creek Project. MINUTES Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Larson to approve the minutes of the April 17 & April 18, 1996 Commission meetings as distributed. Motion carried. Aye: Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy EXPENDITURES Motion was made by Davis and seconded by Jiskra to approve the expenditure report for April, 1996, as distributed. Motion carried. Aye: Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy DIRECTOR'S REPORT Dayle Williamson noted that his report had been distributed to Commission members. He briefly noted that Wayne Vanek, an NRCS employee, has been assigned to our agency as the liaison with NRCS. He added that Wayne is a soil scientist and will be involved in the digitization of soils information. He noted that the two vacant staff positions have been filled with the hiring of Robert Gower and Ravi Varanasi. ADVISOR'S COMMENTS Bill Head of the Policy Research Office advised the Commission of the upcoming Western Governor's conference meeting and commented on the Commission's revised internet home page. Jerry Mathiasen, Executive Director of NARD, commented briefly on activities involving NRD budgets, strategic planning and their upcoming board meeting in Ogallala. He also provided Commission members with copies of the draft agenda for their annual conference in September. Steve Chick, NRCS State Conservationist, distributed a written report and briefly commented on NRCS activities involved with the new Farm Bill. ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST Vince Kramper noted that the Environmental Trust Board had received about 180 applications for funding and that the Board will be meeting soon to make decisions on those applications. He noted that there is some discussion of changing the application date to better fit applicants development schedules. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE Cliff Welsh indicated that the Comprehensive Planning Committee had discussed a number of topics, including the Lower Platte River Reconnaissance Study, the Bureau of Reclamation Water Supply Study and the Southeast Nebraska Stream Degradation Study. He added that copies of the Southeast Nebraska Stream Degradation Study of the Corps of Engineers had been made available to Commission members. He added that Jerry Wallin had briefed the committee on the request of the Middle Republican NRD for ground water modeling assistance. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Robert Bell noted that the Executive Committee had met at 8:00 a.m. and had first discussed the Commission Organization and Operations Policy Statement and that the Committee was not recommending any change. He noted that the committee had discussed the cooperative working agreements between the NRDs and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Bell added that the committee had further discussion about the two NRD studies required in LB 1085 and how the Commission might conduct those studies. Bell added that the importance of spending some additional time on long-range Commission issues was also discussed. PROGRAM COMMITTEE Vince Kramper reported that Tom Pesek had reviewed the Resources Development Fund Financial Status report with the committee. He added that the Director's recommendation on the Powder Creek Resources Development Fund Project proposal had been distributed and reviewed. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Larson to advise the Lewis & Clark NRD that it may proceed with an application and feasibility report for the Powder Creek Project and that it is to address the comments and questions contained in the letter from the Director of Natural Resources. Motion carried. Aye: Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy Terry Nicholson, the Wakefield City Administrator; Tom Anderson, a businessman from Wakefield; and Nick Johnson of JEO briefed the Commission on the Wakefield Levee Project Proposal. Kramper indicated that Tom Pesek and Artis Fisher of the Nemaha NRD had reviewed the NRD's request for approval of funding for four easements from the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Larson to approve the appraisals on (1) The Aubrey Stall property (13 acres) at Upper Little Nemaha Site 8 and commit $7,488 for easement; (2) the Mount Farms property (89.5 acres at the Upper Little Nemaha Site 8 and commit $72,116 for easement); (3) the Gary Earl property (53.2 acres at Upper Little Nemaha Site 17 and commit $34,560 for easement); and (4) the Grace Schmit property (45.5 acres at Upper Little Nemaha Site 79 and commit $37,680 for easement). Motion carried. Aye: Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughenssy Kramper explained that Tom Pesek had reviewed the status report and land sale schedule for the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund as well as the establishment of the revolving fund base for the next fiscal year. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Bartak to establish the revolving fund base for the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund at $1,250,000 for FY 1996-97. Motion carried. Aye: Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Watermeier to schedule the sale of the Clark tract at South Branch Little Nemaha Site 1-B for sale in FY 1998. Motion carried. Aye: Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy Kramper explained that the Soil and Water Conservation Fund status report had been distributed and that the staff was recommending distribution of the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Funds for the next fiscal in the same manner as last year. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Davis to distribute the available Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Funds as follows: (1) One million dollars equally among the 23 NRDs; and (2) The remaining available funds based on the NRI formula. Motion carried. Aye: Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy Kramper noted that the committee had reviewed three requests for added or amended NSWCP practices. He noted that Wayne Davis had asked that the request to add perimeter fencing on CRP lands be withdrawn and that there were no objections to his request. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Nelson to approve buried pipeline to convert gravity systems to pivots as an eligible component of the irrigation water management practice. Motion carried. Aye: Mercer, Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Nelson Nay: Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Bell Not Present: Shaughnessy Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Davis to approve the repair of practices as an eligible practice. Motion carried. Aye: Welsh, Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Nelson, Mercer Nay: Roberts, Watermeier, Bell Not Present: Shaughnessy Kramper noted that on Thursday afternoon the hearing had been conducted on amendments to the Water Well Decommissioning Fund rules and regulations. Motion was made by Kramper and seconded by Davis to approve the amendments to the Water Well Decommissioning Fund rules and regulations as presented at the hearing. Motion carried. Aye: Gifford, Davis, Bartak, Kramper, Kroese, Stewart, Larson, Hergott, Roberts, Jiskra, Watermeier, Nelson, Mercer, Welsh, Bell Nay: None Not Present: Shaughnessy ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUTURE MEETINGS, AND REQUESTS FOR AGENDA ITEMS The following two agenda items were requested for the August Commission meeting: (1) Discussion and Possible Action on the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund budget; (2) Further action on Long Range Planning by the Commission. NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Commission will be on August 14 & 15 in McCook in conjunction with a tour of portions of the Republican River Basin. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:30 a.m. Chairman Director of Natural Resources