Nebraska Bird Partnership

Blue-green algae has spurred health alerts at Nebraska lakes (see "Health alerts at 2 Neb. lakes"), but people shouldn't panic.  Learn about blue-green algae truths and misconceptions at Barbs and Backlashes.

The 50th anniversary edition of the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt is hitting the right note.

Country music stars John Anderson and Lorrie Morgan will continue the tradition of celebrity hunters at Broken Bow, Neb., event, said Paul Ulmer, chairman.

The Nov. 4-7 event pits competitive teams of five hunters each against the clock. Each team is limited to one box of 25 shotgun shells, divided among team members as they see fit. Points are awarded on the number of pheasants and quail bagged by each team.

Read more about the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt from the Omaha World-Herald.

Please join senior representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and other Federal agencies for a public listening session on conservation, recreation, and reconnecting people to the outdoors.

The session will be held Monday, July 12 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Grand Island.

This past April, at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, 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 our great outdoors.  The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must happen at the local level. 

Thirteen environmental groups, including several with ties to Nebraska, objected Friday to a proposed crude-oil pipeline that would cross a portion of the groundwater-rich Sand Hills.

U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., also expressed his concerns Friday to a top State Department official about taking “full account” of safety and environmental questions regarding the pipeline.  “With the ongoing tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico, federal regulators must take every precaution before proceeding with the pipeline,” Nelson said in a press release.

Friday was the deadline for public comment to the State Department, which is weighing whether to permit the Keystone XL pipeline linking tar-sand oil deposits in western Canada to a pipeline junction at Steele City, Neb.  The 36-inch pipeline would more than double the capacity for shipping tar-sand oil to the United States.

Read more about the groups' objections to the Keystone XL pipeline from the Omaha World-Herald.

After flirting with a championship last season, these Huskers are hooked on winning.  They hope that people notice.

Or, in the words of the team captain: “Our team had never done much. This year it was pretty darn good. Our biggest problem is that no one knows we exist.’’

Clearly, these aren’t the words of a member of the Nebraska football or women’s basketball teams. They are the words of Kyle Branecki of Omaha, who will graduate from UNL next month with a marketing degree and a dream.  Branecki, 24, helps lead the Husker Bass Anglers, UNL’s bass fishing club.

Read more about UNL's Husker Bass Anglers from the Omaha World-Herald.

Paddlefish-snagging permit applications are available through July 31 from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. There will be a drawing for the permits in mid-August.

Individuals age 16 or older need a 2010 Nebraska fishing permit in addition to a paddlefish-snagging permit to snag paddlefish. Paddlefish permits are $20 for residents and $40 for nonresidents, not including issuing fees. Applicants must be at least 12 years old by Oct. 1.

Read more about how to apply for a paddlefish permit from the Omaha World-Herald.

Starting today, Nebraska residents are able to apply for rebates ranging from $100 to $250 on purchases of six qualifying energy-efficient products.  Shoppers lined up early at stores across the state with anticipation that the rebates might not last long:

• "Shoppers line up early for rebate", Omaha World-Herald
• "Appliance rebate program gets early start", Lincoln Journal-Star

Congress allocated stimulus funds for state energy-efficient appliance programs last year as a way to boost the economy and reduce energy use.  Nebraska received $1.7 million, and has roughly $1.5 million available for rebate.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind and Water Power Program, through its Wind Powering America initiative, recognized the Nebraska Public Power District as one of the co-recipients of the 2010 Public Power Wind Award.

The announcement was made at the American Public Power Association National Convention in Orlando, Fla., June 22. This eighth annual award honors two American Public Power Association member organizations for their outstanding leadership, innovation, and project creativity through the use of wind energy technologies. The Princeton (N.J.) Municipal Light Department was also recognized.

A pair of Bell's Vireos may forage together at times during the breeding season, progressing upward in a spiral, gleaning insects from the vegetation.

Bell's Vireo is a Nebraska Bird Partnership priority species for conservation.  Visit the Bell's Vireo page to learn more about Bell's Vireo in Nebraska.

Coming soon!  The Nebraska Bird Library will be a new online resource with species profiles for ALL Nebraska birds.

July 8: Central Loess Hills Summer Seminar Series, "The Return of the River Otter", Broken Bow.

July 8: Natural Legacy Project public input meeting, Thedford.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

July 9:  3rd Quarter 2010 PIE Grant Application Deadline

July 10: Plant ID & Habitat Management Field Day, Wood River.

July 10: Growing Up WILD, Norfolk.

July 14: Pheasant & Quail Management, Tecumseh.

July 18: Wildcat Creek Tallgrass Prairie Tour, Virginia.

July 22: Prescribed Burning, Scottsbluff.

July 27: Plant ID Workshop, Lakeside.

July 29: Cedar Tree Removal & Control, Burwell.

July 31: Homestead NM Campfire Program Series, "Fish of Nebraska", Beatrice.

Aug 5: Growing Up WILD, Hastings.

Aug 6-8: Women's Wilderness Weekend, Harlan Reservoir.

Summer is a busy time of year for everyone in the conservation business, and it is no exception here at the Nebraska Bird Partnership.  Here's just a taste of what we have going on:

• Nebraska Bird Conservation Plan Development:  The Science Advisory Workgroup (made up of state ornithologists and avian ecologists) met in June to review the species information and models that underpin our proposed bird population goals and habitat objectives.  We have a "Strategies Summit" scheduled in July where we will begin to develop broad strategies to achieve our goals and objectives.
• Steering Committee:  The Steering Committee's next quarterly meeting is July 23rd at the Nebraska Nature and Visitors Center.
• Nebraska Bird Library:  The Education Workgroup is finishing up construction on a new website that will offer an online bird guide to ALL Nebraska birds, including photos and range maps.  The website will provide information to anyone with an interest in Nebraska birds, and will serve as a companion to our bird education website, projectbeak.org.
• Rivers and Wildlife Celebration:  Yes, we have already had our first planning meeting for next year's Rivers and Wildlife Celebration, scheduled for March 17th-20th, 2011.  We plan to expand on the fabulous success of last year's first ever Wild Experience Room, which targeted families and kids.  We also plan to reach out more to locals to let them know what's going on and how they can participate.
• Capacity Building Grant Program:  Proposals for 2011 capacity building grants were due today (sorry to those of you that just realized you missed the deadline).  The Grants Committee will meet in July to review and make recommendations to the Steering Committee for approval.
• Greater Prairie-Chicken:  We completed analysis of the 2010 data collected by volunteers to evaluate the quality of the model developed in partnership with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture to predict occurrence of Greater Prairie-Chicken in eastern Nebraska.  The model performed great!  Thank you to the volunteers that made a contribution to our monitoring and research efforts.

Any questions, or want to get involved?  Contact Jill at 308-382-6468 x24 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .