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Written by Melissa Panella Santiago
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Friday, 30 July 2010 08:51 |
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 What are Nebraska’s at-risk species? Where can you see them? You can find the answers to these questions and more in Nebraska’s At-Risk Wildlife, the latest effort of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project.
The pocket field guide describes 85 at-risk animals and plants, including their biological life histories and distributions in Nebraska. The book includes suggested conservation actions that could help prevent the extinction of the state’s native wildlife.
The field guides are now available at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Headquarters in Lincoln. You will also be able to visit any of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission District Offices during regular business hours, starting August 16th, to pick up your free personal copy.
 This book was made available as a non-profit environmental education endeavor of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, supported by the Nebraska Environmental Trust.
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Friday, 30 July 2010 08:39 |
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A top-to-bottom reorganization of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is a step closer to reality.
Pending changes include, among other things, replacing three existing assistant directors with one deputy director and having conservation officers devote more time to fish, wildlife and educational programs.
 Commissioners approved an internal study Thursday calling for Rex Amack, the commission director, to implement the changes.
Learn more about the Game and Parks reorganization from the Omaha World-Herald. |
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Friday, 30 July 2010 08:35 |
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Nebraska’s 30,000 waterfowl hunters will be able to shoot more urban geese and start duck season a week earlier this fall under proposed changes drafted Thursday by Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners.
Duck hunters asked for more hunting days in October — when more birds are migrating and ponds are less likely to be frozen — rather than December.
Read more about the proposed waterfowl hunting changes from the Omaha World-Herald. |
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Friday, 30 July 2010 08:31 |
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If you don't know much about Nebraska native fish, check out Daryl Bauer's Barbs and Backlashes for an interesting lesson about channel catfish on the Niobrara: "River catfish" |
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:16 |
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 The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has developed a Spanish language version of its latest brochure on the state's scenic byways. The Spanish version of the brochure titled “Nebraska's Byways: An Unexpected Adventure” is available online at http://www.VisitNebraska.gov/espanol.
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:12 |
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Construction of wind farms has fallen 71 percent nationwide this year. Industry officials say the industry will continue its slowdown unless Congress enacts a national renewable-electricity mandate to reassure investors that there will be a market for additional wind power. A proposed mandate has been shelved in the Senate.
Read more about the wind farm construction slowdown from the Omaha World-Herald. |
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:07 |
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All 5 members of Nebraska's congressional delegation are addressing questions from constituents regarding the potential effect of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline on the Sandhills and Ogallala aquifer:
"Sand Hills pipeline a concern", Omaha World-Herald
"Nelson wants pipeline input", Omaha World-Herald |
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:00 |
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The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday it was barring entry to a cave in the Nebraska National Forest in northwest Nebraska near Chadron because of white-nose syndrome, which has killed nearly a million bats in the eastern and southern U.S. and is spreading west. The Nebraska cave is just one of many in several states being closed on USFS land. The agency said it took the action to help prevent humans from inadvertently spreading the disease.
Learn more about the cave closings from the Lincoln Journal-Star. |
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 08:23 |
Jonathan Coppess, administrator of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), today reminded farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers that they have until Aug. 2, 2010, to nominate eligible candidates to serve on local FSA county committees. FSA county committees help local farmers through their decisions on commodity price support loans, conservation programs and disaster programs, and by working closely with county executive directors.
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Read more...
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 08:17 |
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“This sign-up opportunity for USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is critical to the Nebraska environment and for a greener and healthier America,” announced Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Dan Steinkruger. “Interested farmers and landowners should contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment between August 2 and 27, 2010 if they are interested in the program.”
As of August 1, 2010, Nebraska has 1,092,760 acres under contract in the CRP. On September 30, 2010 there are 179,185 acres expiring from contracts or 16.4% of the total Nebraska acreage. Steinkruger noted, “Nebraska needs a strong enrollment in this program period to maintain the environmental benefits we have built in past years under the CRP.”
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Read more...
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Written by Lindsay Rogers
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 14:56 |
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The U.S. EPA has just completed a draft strategic plan for their agency... in reading through the plan, it does not include anything on environmental education.
One of the key funding sources for the environmental education field is the National Environmental Education Act. This Act creates and funds the EPA Office of EE – which in turn funds the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the Environmental Education Training Partnership (EETAP), and the EPA EE Grants Program including the regional grants so important to many agencies, organizations, and groups conducting environmental education in Nebraska.
The EPA is currently accepting public comments on their strategic plan... Please take a few moments to read the strategic plan and submit a comment. We need to let the EPA know that environmental education today is vital to creating an environmentally literate citizenry and adults who are knowledgeable and ready to solve the environmental problems of the future! The deadline for comments is July 30th – this Friday.
Click here for the strategic plan
Click here for the news release and instructions for how to submit a comment
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 09:10 |
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The Nebraska Public Power District is asking for public input on new transmission lines that will supply power to new pumping stations for the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. NPPD is conducting public hearings in Osceola, Central City, Bartlett and Albion this week. These are the county seats for the counties where the proposed final transmission line route is planned.
Learn more about NPPD's public hearings from the Grand Island Independent. |
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