Nebraska Bird Partnership

Firefighters from several western Nebraska departments have contained a fire that burned about 50 acres in a rugged area of the Wildcat Hills.

The fire about 10 miles southwest of Gering burned through most of Wednesday before firefighters could bring it under control.

Read more about the Wildcat Hills wildfire:

"Firefighters contain blaze in Wildcat Hills", Lincoln Journal-Star

"Wildfire contained with no property damage", Scottsbluff Star-Herald

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has approved a new administrative structure that will eliminate some layers of management.

The commission approved the plan Wednesday to replace its three assistant directors with one deputy director.

Read more about the Game and Parks' restructuring from the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the launch of a Conservation Loan (CL) program that will provide farm owners and farm-related business operators access to credit to implement conservation techniques that will conserve natural resources.

CL funds can be used to implement conservation practices approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, such as the installation of conservation structures; establishment of forest cover; installation of water conservation measures; establishment or improvement of permanent pastures; implementation of manure management; and the adaptation of other emerging or existing conservation practices, techniques or technologies.

The Nebraska Bird Library is a new online resource dedicated to helping Nebraskans identify and learn about our birds.  The Bird Library houses information about ALL Nebraska bird species, including high quality images, bird descriptions, and maps.

Want to know what that bird was?  You can search by color, size, region, and habitat to help you figure it out.

A project of the Education Workgroup of the Nebraska Bird Partnership, the Nebraska Bird Library was made possible by funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and through the goodwill and efforts of volunteers including photographers, bird experts, and many more.

By the end of September, Lark Buntings will leave western and central Nebraska for their wintering grounds in Texas and Mexico.

Lark Bunting is a Nebraska Bird Partnership priority species for conservation.  Learn more about Lark Bunting and other Nebraska birds at the Nebraska Bird Library.

Photo by Phil Swanson

Sep 5:  Purple Martin Field Trip, Lincoln.
Sep 8:  NRCS EQIP/WHIP Subcommittee meeting, Lincoln.
Sep 8:  NRCS WRP Subcommittee meeting, Lincoln.
Sep 9:  NRCS GRP Subcommittee meeting, Lincoln.
Sep 9:  NRCS FRPP Subcommittee meeting, Lincoln.
Sep 9:  NRCS CSP Subcommittee meeting, Lincoln.
Sep 9:  Tom Lynch, "Australian Birds and other Treasures of the Land Down Under", Lincoln.
Sep 9:  "Healthy Water, Healthy People" Educator Workshop, Ashland.
Sep 9:  Growing Up WILD/PLT Early Childhood Experiences Educator Workshop, Ashland.
Sep 9-11:  Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environment Education Annual Conference, "Coming into Focus: Conservation and Environment Education in Nebraska", Ashland.
Sep 14:  Quail Management Workshop, St Paul.
Sep 20:  Natural Resources Conservation Service State Technical Committee meeting, Denton.
Sep 24:  Biotechnology and Forest Ecology Educator Workshop, Fremont.
Sep 24-26:  Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting, McCook.
Sep 28 & 30: "Dig, Plant, Grow" Advanced PLT Workshop for Elementary Educators, Lincoln.
Oct 2:  Prairie Photographer's Field Trip, Unadilla.
Oct 7:  Nebraska Bird Partnership Steering Committee meeting, Kearney.
Oct 5-7:  National Watchable Wildlife Conference, Kearney.

The state's wildlife agency rejected a request Tuesday by a private nature sanctuary to reintroduce prairie dogs in north-central Nebraska.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission voted 9-0 against a plan to capture 100 wild black-tailed prairie dogs and release them on the 5,000-acre Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary in Rock County, owned by Audubon of Kansas.

Read more about the prairie dog non-reintroduction from the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Half a dozen young protesters picketed outside the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission meeting Tuesday to show their continued dismay with the board's decision to allow drinking in state parks.  Members of the Ogallala Youth Ban Underage Drinking Division lined up outside the Lake McConaughy Visitor and Water Interpretive Center as members of the commission board walked into the meeting.

But the alcohol issue wasn't on the agenda, and commissioners did not discuss it.

Read more about the Commission meeting protest from the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Nebraska waterfowl hunting begins Saturday with the opening of the early teal and Canada goose seasons.

Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners approved 2010 waterfowl hunting seasons and regulations at a meeting Tuesday at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area near Ogallala.

Get the 2010 waterfowl hunting season dates from the Omaha World Herald.

The Summer 2010 issue of Water Current, the newsletter of the UNL Water Center, is now available.  Articles of conservation interest include:

• Back-to-back UNL Water Events in October
• Mapping Evapotranspiration
• Bob Daugherty:  Man with a Vision
• Irrigation Management Project Expands
• Environmental Science Education:  Motive and Opportunity, but maybe not the Means?
• EPA Proposed New Permit Requirements for Pesticide Discharges
• Invasive Saltcedar, Russian Olive Consume Similar Amounts of Water as Cottonwoods and Willows

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition calling for a ban on the production and distribution of lead hunting ammunition. EPA sent a letter to the petitioners explaining the rejection – that letter can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/pubs/sect21.html

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Technical Committee and Sub-Committees will meet in September.  These Committees serve as an advisory body to the NRCS State Conservationist.  They provide recommendations on technical aspects of Farm Bill conservation programs.

The State Technical Committee will meet on Monday, September 20, 2010, at Spring Creek Prairie located 20 miles southwest of Lincoln at 11700 SW 100th Street, Denton, Neb.  The meeting will be begin at 12:30 p.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m.  Sub-Committees will meet at the following dates and times:

·         EQIP/WHIP Subcommittee Meeting, September 8 from 9 -11:30 a.m.

·         WRP Subcommittee Meeting, September 8 from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

·         GRP Subcommittee Meeting, September 9 from 8:30 -10:00 a.m.

·         FRPP Subcommittee Meeting, September 9 from 10:30 - Noon

·         CSP Subcommittee Meeting, September 9 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.