Protecting the Future

Protecting Lives, Protecting Property, Protecting the Future. This statement and Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts go hand in hand.  This week we will be diving into what the Upper Loup NRD does to Protect the Future.

                Marian Wright Edelman says that “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it”. Education is a way the ULNRD is protecting the future. Giving students a passion for the environment and natural resources now will lead to a greater appreciation as they grow into adulthood. The ULNRD has many educational activities available to students of all ages. Adventure Camp About the Environment is a highlight of the summer at the ULNRD! Every June middle schoolers from across the state diverge on the Nebraska State 4-H Camp to learn about all things relating to the environment such as range, water quality, wildlife, soils, recycling, and many more! This year’s camp will be held June 10^th-13^th! More information about this year’s camp will be available after the first of the year.

                The Upper Loup NRD also will present for any school or community organization at request. Presentations can focus on many different topics from water and wildlife to pollution and recycling. Every year the Upper Loup NRD travels to all local schools to do Arbor Day presentations also. In the fall, all area schools are invited to a Jr. High Field Day here at the office. This year’s field day was held September 6^th. We had perfect weather and a great day! Feel free to give us a call if your class or organization would like to come have a tour of our recycling facility or if you would like us to present in your class.

                ULNRD also facilitates boater and hunter safety education classes. Boater Safety classes usually take place in the spring if there is enough interest. Hunter Safety is held in the fall and this year will take place on October 21 and 22 from 1pm to 6pm both days. More information about how to get registered for this class will be available soon.

                Education is the key to the future of our world. Giving children a better understanding and appreciation for our environment will create a bigger interest from them in the future. Our children could be future environmental scientists or wildlife biologists that work to preserve our natural resources. Through education the Upper Loup NRD is working to protect our future.

The Amazing Resource Under Our Feet

Recently everyone has been staring at the sky in amazement at a natural resource we all usually take for granted but what about the one beneath our feet?  Groundwater. The Upper Loup NRD takes great care to protect groundwater quality as well as quantity to make sure there is safe, useable water for the next generation.

            One way the ULNRD protects groundwater quality is by issuing chemigation permits and inspecting all chemigation systems to make sure they are not, in any way, releasing chemicals back into the groundwater. The district also provides cost share to help with well decommissioning to prevent contaminants from entering the groundwater through old unused wells.

The Upper Loup NRD conducts domestic well quality checks to insure the safety of the residents in the district. These checks test for nitrate-nitrogen which is especially harmful to infants, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and the elderly. If you would like your well tested just give us a call at the office. Also by special request, we can test for bacteria such as coliform which causes gastrointestinal problems.

The ULNRD also provides cost share for drip wells to insure no excess oil leaks into the groundwater from over oiling irrigation wells. We are very lucky in our area to have few water quality problems.

            The Upper Loup NRD is also always measuring groundwater quantity in our area. The district has a network of over 100 observation wells to monitor static groundwater level changes. The district is also implementing flow meters on all irrigation wells to help monitor the districts usage to make sure and not overuse the water available to us. Cost share for groundwater moisture sensors are also available to producers in our district.

            Monitoring groundwater levels and trends are one of the factors the Board of Directors reviews when deciding whether to allow new irrigated acres in the district. Acres are only usually approved if there are no significant changes in groundwater levels from previous years use. This year the board has decide to allow new acres for 2018. There will be 2,500 acres available throughout the district. To apply for these acres please call our office or stop in for more info. Applications are due September 31^st.

So, while your still in awe from the solar eclipse don’t forget about the immense resource we are so lucky to have beneath our feet here in the Sandhills. And don’t forget the Upper Loup NRD is looking out for that resources safety. For more info contact us at 308-645-2250 or ulnrd@upperloupnrd.org or visit our website upperloupnrd.org! 

Go Green with the Upper Loup NRD

One of the services provided to residents of the Upper Loup NRD is the opportunity to recycle! Chances are, if you live in any of the major communities in the ULNRD there is probably a recycle trailer somewhere in your town. The ULNRD has trailers in Dunning, Halsey, Hyannis, Mullen, Thedford, Stapleton, and Brownlee. For exact locations of those trailers in your town visit our website and look under the Project and Progress tab or give us a call! Materials accepted by our trailers are 1 and 2 plastics, aluminum, tin, paper, and carboard. We also provide electronic recycling in Thedford at the ULNRD office, Security First Bank, Ewoldt’s Grocery Store, and the Thomas County Courthouse. In Mullen electronics can be dropped off at Nebraskaland National Bank. These locations accept old calculators, cell phones and pagers, eBook readers, digital and video cameras, GPS and radar detectors, inkjet cartridges, Ipods, Ipads, and MP3 players. We do not accept batteries!

Recycling is easy! There are just a few things we ask that you do to keep processing as easy and efficient as possible. First check your plastics for a small 3 arrow triangle, usually found on the bottom of the container or bottle. If there is a 1 or a 2 in that triangle, good news! Your item can be recycled here! There is no need to remove the lid, cap, or label off of your plastic recyclables just please rinse them out. The same goes for aluminum and tin. We do not need you to remove labels but rinsing the cans out would be greatly appreciated. With cardboard, we ask that you please flatten your boxes before putting them in our recycle trailers. Also, there is no need to remove staples from any papers that you might be recycling.

There are a few things we do not recycle. Some of those include Styrofoam, plastic bags, glass, wax paper, livestock supplement tubs, feed sacks with plastic liner, motor oil containers, paper towels and tissues, aerosol cans, napkins, plastic wrap, plastic or wax coated boxes, and tarps. We also do not accept heavily dyed paper or batteries.

Why should you recycle? Because it’s good for the environment! Did you know, 1 tin can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours! What do you do with your newspapers after you read them? 250 million trees could be saved EACH YEAR if all of our newspaper was recycled. There is a lot of trash the can be recycled but people usually don’t take the time to. 30% of all waste is recycled while 70% can actually be recycled. Do your part to help keep the Sandhills and our world beautiful!

For more information on programs by the Upper Loup NRD check out upcoming articles! If you have any questions about recycling in our district or want more information check out our website, www.upperloupnrd.org, call us at 308-645-2250, or visit us in Thedford! We would love to hear from you!

NRBA Meeting Notice

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Niobrara River Basin Alliance will hold a Regular Board Meeting, at 1:30 p.m. CST on Monday, September 25, 2017 at Room Ruby 7, Younnes Conference Center, 416 West Talmage Road, Kearney, NE.  An agenda of the matters to be considered at such date, time, and place is kept continually current, and is available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District, 430 E 2^nd Street, Chadron, Nebraska.  Persons who require auxiliary aids or special accommodations to attend or participate in the hearing should contact Patrick O’Brien at 308-432-6190 to make the necessary arrangements.

# # # #

What's In A Name?

                NRD, NRCS, FSA, DEQ. If you’re in the ag industry or have anything to do with natural resources (which we all do) then you have probably heard these acronyms before but what do they mean and stand for? Let’s start with one we should all know! NRD which stands for Natural Resources District. Last week’s article spoke about what NRDs are and what they do. If you missed that article visit upperloupnrd.org and check it out! Next is another office located in Thedford. NRCS stands for Natural Resources Conservation District. This is a federal agency that’s mission is to help people conserve and improve natural resources. Some examples of NRCS programs are CSP or Conservation Stewardship Program and EQIP or Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Another agency is the FSA or Farm Service Agency. This is also a federal agency. Both NRCS and FSA are part of the USDA or United States Department of Agriculture. The FSA controls CRP or Conservation Reserve Program as well as provides Beginning Farmers and Rancher loans.

Next, we have state agencies. DNR stands for the Department of Natural Resources. DNR is charged with protecting and regulating the states surface water. This agency issues surface water permits, floodplain management, and insures the safety of dams in the state. The NeDEQ or Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is another state agency. The NeDEQ was created to protect Nebraska’s air, land and water. This agency has recycling programs and grants, as well as waste management projects, and emissions testing.

All in all, when it comes to agriculture and natural resources there are a lot of players in our court to help producers and landowners do what’s best for our land, air, and water. If you have any questions or want more information call the Upper Loup NRD at 308-645-2250 or visit upperloupnrd.org!