Nebraska Bird Partnership

Keystone XL is not the only pipeline in the news these days.  A proposed pipeline to send ethanol from the Midwest to markets in the East may receive a boost when the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday releases the findings of a feasibility study.  The study found that a dedicated ethanol pipeline would be feasible under certain conditions, particularly if U.S. markets were opened to fuel blends containing more than 10 percent ethanol or if use of E85 — a motor fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol — were expanded.

Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., said the report is good news for the project. Terry and Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, recently introduced a bill that would provide federal loan guarantees for the $3.5 billion, 1,800-mile pipeline.

Read more about the proposed ethanol pipeline from the Omaha World-Herald.

Sen. Annette Dubas and Sen. Kate Sullivan say Nebraska has little impact on an upcoming federal decision to build the Keystone XL pipeline.  "It's a federal project, so we (state government) don't really have any oversight," Dubas said.

The biggest concerns Nebraskans have voiced is the effect the pipeline could have on the Ogallala Aquifer, and in turn on the Platte and Niobrara Rivers and Nebraska Sandhills.

Read more about the Keystone XL pipeline project from the Grand Island Independent.

Whether they’re adorable is up for debate, and the slithering things give some people the creeps. But Dan Fogell said most snakes just want to be your friend.  “(Snakes) need a champion,” said the science teacher at Southeast Community College in Lincoln. “They need people that love them.”

Hundreds of people this weekend attended the two-day Snakes of Nebraska program, which promoted snake awareness and appreciation. Some 24 species of snakes were brought into the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium near Ashland, joining the fish, amphibians and other creatures that are part of its regular exhibits.

Read more about the Nebraska snakes workshop from the Omaha World-Herald.

Top officials of the Nebraska Chapter of the Sierra Club on Friday disavowed television advertisements targeting Nebraska's two U.S. senators for their vote on climate change legislation.

State Sen. Ken Haar of Lincoln, who has been on the local Sierra Club board, called the ads "stupid" and said he found them "personally offensive."  "Attacking is not the way we do business in the state of Nebraska," Haar said. "It reflects badly on Nebraska and makes it harder to work with our senators."

Read more about the offending political ad from the Omaha World-Herald.

The July 2010 issue of Resource, a monthly publication of the Nebraska Environmental Trust, is now available.

Articles include:

• Executive Director Corner
• Pit Fill Projects Sends More Water to the Wetlands
• Five 2nd Quarter Public Information and Education MiniGrants Awarded
• Staff Member Feature - Lisa Beethe, Grants Administrator
• Upcoming Events

Early this morning the world welcomed the first TernCam chick, Winkin. If you are lucky enough, you can log on to the TernCam when the parents are switching incubating responsibilities to catch a peek at the first chick. The second egg (Blinkin) has started to crack a little and can be expected to hatch sometime this evening or early tomorrow.

Kids are always good at providing a reason to smile or chuckle.  Check out this interview with a daycamper at the Nebraska Nature and Visitors Center.

On the first day LB1048 took effect allowing wind energy export, Chicago-based Invenergy filed an application to be the first wind developer to take advantage of the new law.  Read about Invenergy's wind development plans:

"New wind law brings fast action", Omaha World-Herald

"Boone County to get new wind farm", Grand Island Independent

A measure signed into law last spring by Gov. Dave Heineman to close a loophole for young hunters is now in effect.

Nebraska law had stated that a hunter holding an apprentice hunter education exemption certificate must be accompanied by a licensed person age 19 or older.  The new language in effect starting Thursday requires the accompanying person, if between the ages of 19 and 29, to have firearm hunter education certification if hunting with a firearm or crossbow. The accompanying person must have a bow hunter education certification if hunting with a bow and arrow.

Without the change, two people who did not have hunter education certification could each obtain an apprentice hunter education exemption certificate, then legally accompany each other.

Creating flexible federal conservation programs allowing local people to solve local problems was just one of many issues discussed on Monday in Grand Island at America's Great Outdoors Initiative.  More than 200 people attended the listening session, where representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of the Interior and other federal agencies gathered comments on conservation, recreation and other outdoors issues.

Robert Bonnie, a senior adviser to the secretary of agriculture, said the meeting is a result of an White House conference in April on America's Great Outdoors. At the conference, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with the great outdoors.

Read more about the Great Outdoors Initiative discussions from the Grand Island Independent.

The University of Nebraska State Museum's Sunday with a Scientist will present a program for children and families that explores what wildlife researchers from the UNL School of Natural Resources and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are uncovering about Nebraska's river otters based on samples of their poop. This program will take place this Sunday, July 18 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Morrill Hall.

Learn more about the July Sunday with a Scientist program from the Nebraska State Museum.

The snakes of Nebraska will be displayed and discussed at a workshop from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium.

Dennis Ferraro, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln county extension educator, will display 24 species of snakes found in Nebraska and answer questions. Although mostly unseen in the wild, the snakes play a big role in nature's cycles and are highly beneficial to humans.

Learn more about the Nebraska snakes workshop from the Omaha World-Herald.