This report is the fulfillment of the reporting requirement specified in the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund 1996 Grant Agreement dated November 4, 1996. The grant agreement ( Project #96-237 "A Sandhills Fen and Grassland Partnership") states: Between December 1 and 31 of each year after 1996 the authorized representative will provide the Trust with a detailed report of activities undertaken through the Sandhills Resource Conservation Fund. This document meets those requirements plus includes information about activities and projects that Sandhills Task Force were involved in during 2000.

The Sandhills Resource Conservation Fund was established April 1, 1996 by the Sandhills Task Force (STF), a non-profit organization. The Fund is used to facilitate various conservation projects throughout the Sandhills. Often, projects involve multiple partnerships and funding arrangements can become troublesome. The Fund has allowed the STF to facilitate payment to landowners and to assume the responsibility of overseeing the completion of the project. Because STF was not a tax-exempt organization, the Fund was established with Nebraska Community Foundation. Listed below are projects and activities that have involved funding through the Sandhills Resource Conservation Fund or through cooperative agreements with individual agencies. Under some cooperative agreements, the STF accepted the responsibility of administration and overseeing the completion of the project while payment went directly to the contractor without going through the STF. The appendix contains the 2000 Statement of Financial Position.

Board of Directors include:

A.B. Cox	Rancher, Vice-president	Mullen
Al Steuter	The Nature Conservancy	Ainsworth
Barb Cooksley	Rancher	Anselmo
Byron Eatinger	Rancher, President	Thedford
Dean Funk	Rancher, Holt County Commissioner	Atkinson
Gene D. Mack	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretary/Treasurer	Kearney
Gene Lehnert	North Central R, C & D	Bassett
Kenneth Noonan	Natural Resources Conservation Service	Lincoln
Mick Knott	Rancher	Hyannis
Mike Kelly	Rancher	Sutherland
Richard Lackaff	Rancher	Bassett
Rob Ravenscroft	Rancher	Valentine
Ron Dobbins	Rancher, Chr. Upper Loup NRD	Tryon
Ted LaGrange	Nebraska Game & Parks Commission	Lincoln
Troy Bredenkamp	Nebraska Cattlemen, Rancher	Lincoln

  

In January, Jana Jensen submitted her resignation as a member of the Board. Jana had resigned her position with Nebraska Cattlemen (NC). And in doing so, had to resign from the Board because that position is held by a staff member of the Nebraska Cattlemen. The Board position was filled by Troy Bredenkamp. Troy serves as Executive Vice-President for Technical Services for NC.

Ken Noonan replaced Gus Hughbanks as the NRCS staff member. Gus took on new responsibilities with NRCS and ken filled the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations position previously held by Gus.

Barb Cooksley was selected to serve on the National Invasive Species Committee formed by the Secretary of Interior. The Committee consists of 25 members—almost all are associated with large organizations. Barb is the only person from Nebraska. The Committee is lead by Secretary Babbitt and Vice President Al Gore. Barb was also selected to serve on Congressman Osborne’s staff. Her focus will be livestock, conservation, and environmental issues.

A.B. Cox and Mick Knott were asked by the Western Governor’s Association (Great Plains Partnership) to assist them in forming landscape and ecosystem level conservation organizations; involving multiple levels of government and private organizations. The Great Plains Partnership recognizes the STF as an example of successful partnerships. Jack Shipley, from the Applegate Partnership (located in northwestern U.S.) met with A.B., Mick, and Byron Eatinger to share ideas about each other’s grassroots organization.

Interest in duplicating the Sandhills Task Force is also occurring in the Flint Hills of Kansas. A group of individuals invited Gene Mack to meet with them to discuss how the organization was formed, its goals, function, and day-to-day operation.

Mike Kelly, Byron Eatinger, and Gene Mack attended a national Land Conservation Summit held in St. Paul on July 28 & 29. Its focus was forming land trusts and managing conservation easements.

On April 26, 2000 the Board was notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they had been granted 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt status. Attorney John Detisch of Kutak Rock in Omaha had volunteered his time over the last couple of years to assist in the application.

In the original grant agreement ( Project #96-237 "A Sandhills Fen and Grassland Partnership"), it stated that funds associated with the sale of property would be transferred to the Sandhills Resource Conservation Fund once the STF obtained tax-exempt status. In previous years, the STF had maintained its fund with the Nebraska Community Foundation. They kept all interest our account generated in return for charging the STF no administrative fees. In 2000, NCF changed their policy and began charging up to 3 percent of the amount of the check. Our standard operating practice has been to request funds from contributing partner once a project is done. The funds are held briefly in the account before payment is made to the contractor. Thus, we receive little interest but are charged full administrative fee. Average fee per check was $133. The NET Board granted the STF permission to establish a regular checking account to reduce banking fees.

A checking account was established with The Tri County Bank in Stuart, Nebraska. The Board chose to bank with a locally-owned, Sandhills bank. Approximately 20 banks were contacted about ownership and banking rates. On November 2, 2000, The Nature Conservancy wired $450,000 to the Tri County Bank account. Three $100,000 Certificates of Deposits were purchased from three separate banks. Each CD has a different maturity date so funds would become available on a more quarterly basis. $100,000 was sent to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as the organizations contribution toward the Birdwood Creek conservation easement. The Nature Conservancy had received a grant from the Wildlife Foundation to help pay the cost of the easement. One condition of the grant was all other contributions had to be passed through the Foundation.

Funding by Sandhills Task Force, as shown in the following projects, came from grants (through cooperative agreements) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each year, the FWS grant between $20,000 and $30,000 to the STF for conservation projects within the Sandhills. This money is part of the Services "Partners for Fish and Wildlife Project."

Purpose: The project is to acquire property and restore the hydrology and vegetation (and associated wildlife) of two Sandhills fens located in western Cherry County to their more natural condition and to evaluate the cost/benefit for restoration as it relates to ranching. STF co-sponsored the project with The Nature Conservancy.

 

NET past grant:	$ 585,000		(land acquisition)
NET grant (1998):	$ 315,000		(land acquisition)
TNC/STF:	$ 198,000		(Surveys and land management)
TNC:	$ 61,000		(In-kind administration)
STF:	$ 7,000		(In-kind administration)
USFWS:	$ 17,000		(Fencing)
NRCS:	$ 12,000a		(In-kind technical assistance)
NGPC:	$ 18,000		(Control Structures)
Nebraska Cattlemen:	$ 3,000		(In-kind administration)
Total	$1,201,000
a NRCS contribution has far exceeded this amount.

 

Accomplishments: Coordination has begun between NRCS and TNC to install three water control structures in Pullman Valley and two additional structures in Jumbo Valley. Currently there exists three structures in Jumbo Valley, costing $52,024.37: NRCS paid $40,493.28 and NGPC paid $11,531.09. In Jumbo Valley, water levels in the channel were raised to within 6 inches of the fen elevation (See photos of front page).

Elevation surveys were completed in Pullman Valley Fen and NRCS are currently designing the size and capacities of the new structures. Construction is planned for next summer. Seventy-five percent of the funding for construction will come from the Wetland Reserve Program.

Initial steps are being taken to sell the property in the fall of 2001. The Task Force has begun discussion of conservation easements and what the terms of the easement will be on this property.

The property continues to be grazed and hayed through lease agreements with neighboring landowners.

Jumbo Valley Fen Project

Financial Statement

July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000

Cow Creek Riparian Restoration

Purpose: The project is directed toward repairing control structures that were lost due to extensive flooding. The structures provided stream stabilization, enhancement of riparian habitat, and flood control in southeastern Cherry County.

Funding: Funding came from multiple partnerships. Final contributions by partners are listed:

NET:	$59,000 (Construction)
STF:	$ 1,600 (Coordination)
FWS:	$9,992 (Construction)		$ 2,560 (Administration/coordination)
Upper Loup NRD:	$4,000 (Construction)
Ducks Unlimited:	$12,000 (Construction)
Nebraska Dept. of Roads:	$29,663 (Construction)
NRCS:			$ 55,360 (Engineering)
Landowners:	$3,500 (Fencing)
Total:	$118,155 (Construction)		$ 59,520 (In-kind services)

 

Accomplishments: Construction was completed in December, 1999. In January, 2000 final payments were made and a final project report was submitted to NET. On August 15, 2000, NET notified the Board that the conditions of the grant agreement were met and the project was compete.

Purpose: To protect a segment of scenic Sandhills stream from being developed. Birdwood Creek is a short, spring fed stream that begins in McPherson County and flows southward to the Platte River. Because of the scenic and hydro-geologic significance of the stream, the Task Force joined with the Nature Conservancy to purchase a conservation easement on the property. Both TNC and STF share the belief that unique areas of the Sandhills will be commercially developed. This threat makes it more difficult for ranching operations to continue with higher land values and taxes. The conservation easement ensures the land will remain open, scenic, and economical for ranching.

Accomplishments: The Task Force issued payment of $100,000 (in November) to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as STF’s contribution to the easement acquisition. The Nature Conservancy had received a grant from the Wildlife Foundation to help pay the cost of the easement. One condition of the grant was all other contributions had to be passed through the Foundation.

Purpose: This program is designed to address Sandhills landscape issues and incorporate existing agency programs (funding) to accomplish projects that are more directed toward wildlife and public benefits. The program would trade (up-front) funds for capital improvement on ranches in return for 10-agreements to manage for wildlife, grassland health and diversity, and improvement of water quality and quantity. Each project would be based on sound science and economic use of the funds. NET funds will be used in combination with other partnerships to develop grazing systems, riparian habitat restoration, stream restoration, technical assistance, and environmental education associated with the Sandhill resources. One key component of the grant is hiring a Project Coordinator to promote the program and provide technical assistance to landowners.

Funding: On April 21, NET granted $81,500 to the STF. The 2000 budget is shown below.