GRAND ISLAND- The Central Platte Natural Resources District’s board of directors met on Thursday, April 23, 2009, at the NRD office located at 215 N Kaufman Ave. in Grand Island.

Action included:

-Water Resources Committee- John Engle, HDR Engineer from Omaha, gave a presentation to the committee on the difference between a fully appropriated and an overappropriated designation. The board had requested the information to determine whether the District’s designations could be reversed or changed in the future.

CPNRD’s Integrated Management Plan (IMP) was approved as recommended by the Water Resources Committee that met on April 2, 2009. Since the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources had new information, the board requested that manager Ron Bishop send a letter to the Department stating that the IMP had been approved by the board and that staff requests a joint meeting to go over the new information before public hearings are held.

The committee also approved the requested 2010 budget and will send it on to the Budget committee for review.

-Programs Committee- The committee approved 10 scholarship applications for the following: Briana Brooks (Gothenburg); Beau Sheen (Kearney); Phillip Johnson, Jacob Dexter, Aaron Huston (Central City); Drew Kime, Bridget Czaplewski, Karen Buettner (Grand Island); Courtney Anthony (Lexington) and Eric Puckett (Columbus),. Awardees are required to be either entering

or already in a natural resources major and be from the Central Platte NRD. The NRD awards 10 scholarships each year for $1,000. Awardees will receive $500 their first semester and $500 the second semester.

The committee also approved the requested 2010 budget and will send it on to the Budget committee for review.

--Western Projects Committee- Miller and Associates presented information on the Odessa Drainage proposal- no action was taken. The committee approved the requested 2010 budget and will send it on to Budget committee for review.

--Legislative Update- Milt Moravek, assistant manager, reported that LB 477 had been approved. This bill will require any landowners involved in water right transfers to provide written approval from their lienholder. Once approved, the NRD will then file all transactions with registered deeds in that county.

--Washington D.C.- Ron Bishop, general manager, and directors who attended, reported on the NARD Legislative Conference including contacts made and FSA records. Bishop said Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns, along with Congressman Adrian Smith, are working with the NRDs to allow acquisition of FSA records.

--Water Banking- Ron Bishop reported that the NRD has acquired 1,269.95 acre-feet of water that will go back to the river. There are an additional 300 ac/ft transactions pending at this time.

--PBHEP- Mark Czaplewski, biologist, gave a status report on the formation of the Platte Basin Habitat Enhancement Program committee. The board approved Ron Bishop as CPNRD’s Administrative Representative and Mark Czaplewski as alternate. Czaplewski said the committee expects to have an interlocal agreement prepared for approval by the board at the May meeting.

--COHYST- Duane Woodward, hydrologist, reported that their technical committee is continuing to work on the Phase III operating plan and the budget structure. Woodward said Upper Big Blue NRD will no longer participate as a sponsor due to the fact that the Study is going in a new direction and will not provide as much technical information for their District.

--NRCS- James Huntwork, District Conservationist, gave a presentation on invasive species and incentive opportunities that NRCS will be providing through cost share funds. Mike Pavel, Resources Conservationist, reported on cost share applications in the Kearney field office.

--Cost Share- 29 applications were approved through the Nebraska Soil & Water Conservation and the Central Platte NRD Programs in the amount of $27,113.84. Practices approved include: steambank stabilization, surge valve, fertilizer calibration, flow meter, tree planting and well decommissioning.

--May Meeting- The next board of directors meeting will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2009.