Tree Planting Services Available at Upper Loup NRD

Spring is fast approaching and so is tree planting season! The Upper Loup NRD provides many tree services from planning, planting, weed barrier installation or weed control, drip irrigation, and small acreage packages. Trees are important for the environment, they provide benefits such as producing shelter for livestock, supplying wildlife habitat, preventing soil erosion, increasing crop yields, and helping to reduce heating and cooling costs.

A wide variety of bareroot trees and shrubs are available for purchase through early May, a comprehensive list is on our website. If you aren’t sure what types of trees you would like, you may consider the popular acreage packages. Each package contains 10 trees of 5 different species suited for each purpose. The West package contains Colorado Blue Spruce, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Native Cottonwood, Sandcherry, and Gambel Oak trees. The East package offers Southwestern White Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Swamp White Oak, Red-osier Dogwood, and Serviceberry trees. Another package is made up of trees especially suited for wildlife. Those trees include American Plum, Red-osier Dogwood, Woods Rose, Gambel Oak, and Sandcherry. The last package offered consists of flowering trees such as Nanking Cherry, Sandcherry, Serviceberry, Red-osier Dogwood, and Caragana.

Please call us at 308-645-2250 or visit our website at www.upperloupnrd.org and look under the Tree link for more information about prices, services, and species available.   

2017 Adventure Camp about the Environment Dates Announced

Nebraska’s NRDs announce the 2017 Adventure Camp about the Environment on June 11-14, 2017, at the 4-H Camp in Halsey, Nebraska. The four day camp is for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Explore Nebraska’s natural resources with hands-on activities including fishing, water activities, zip line, and more! For more information contact the Upper Loup NRD or visit www.upperloupnrd.org and click on Camps & Scholarships under the Education tab.

ULNRD Hosted North Central Land Judging Contest

Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts provide many educational activities for students across the state every year. One of these activities for high school students is area Land Judging contests. This year, the Upper Loup Natural Resource District held the North Central Land Judging contest in Logan County.

On a chilly October morning, over 150 students in the North Central region of the state gathered at the Arnold Community Center to compete for a chance to make it to the state contest. High school students from Arcadia, Broken Bow, Callaway, Fullerton, Loup City, Ord, Palmer, St. Edward, Twin River and Verdigre schools put their skills to the test on October 6th.

Land Judging challenges students to gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation. Land judging enables each participant to learn how to recognize the physical features of the soil, determine land capability for crop production, and evaluate management practices needed for proper stewardship. Soil, land and home-site evaluation provide a setting for students to investigate the soils in their region, the environment that surrounds them and their effect on their daily lives.

The top four schools were invited to compete in the state competition on October 26^th in Pleasanton, Nebraska. From the North Central contest, Fullerton placed first, Palmer finished in second place, third place went to Verdigre, and finishing in fourth place was Ord.

The final results from the North Central contest, as well as the Nebraska Land Judging state contest can be found at www.nrdnet.org/nebraska-land-judging-soil-evaluation

Many months of planning and organizing are put into preparing for these contests that involve hundreds of students. Larry Schultz from the Lower Loup NRD, and Chuck Markley from the North Platte NRCS brought their years of expertise to help the Upper Loup NRD run this contest. Staff members from the Upper Loup NRD, NRCS in Thedford, NRCS in Broken Bow, NRCS in North Platte, and other volunteers happily took time out of their day to help transfer students between stations, read instructions, score the students’ cards and other activities. Overall, the contest was a success and finished just in time before the rain and sleet began to fall.

Fall is the Time to start Tree Planning

   Trees provide important benefits such as protecting homes and livestock from wind and snow, helping to reduce heating and cooling costs, preventing soil erosion, and providing wildlife habitat. The Upper Loup NRD offers tree program services including: planning, planting, weed barrier installation or weed control, and drop irrigation.

   Fall is a good time to think about tree planning. The ULNRD provides a 65% cost share along with free tree planning services. Trees and shrubs (excluding small acreage package), planting, weed mulch, and drip irrigation systems are all eligible for the cost share program. For more information about these services or to make an appointment for your tree plan, contact Shane at 308-645-2250.

Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) 2016 Annual Conference Has Increased Attendance Educating Public About Water and Soil Conservation

(Kearney, NE) – The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Annual Conference was held at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, September 26^th – 27^th and focused on protecting the future of Nebraska’s natural resources.  This year more than 400 Natural Resources Districts (NRD) managers, staff, board members, conservation partners and the public received new information on many natural resources and agriculture developments and projects going on now.

“I’m thrilled Nebraskans see the value in the Natural Resources Districts (NRD) Annual Conference and I’m proud to announce this is one of our biggest crowds yet,” said Jim Bendfeldt, President of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.  “The Annual Conference continues to put a spotlight on new studies, ideas, programs and technology to continue improving our natural resources conservation efforts to protect lives, protect property and protect the future for generations to come.”

Participants had a variety of educational break-out sessions to choose from.  Sessions targeted the Emerald Ash Borer threat, Telemetry projects that measure available groundwater resources, the use of drones for water and natural resources management, developing effective drought management practices, flood control projects and much more. Other events included recognition of Hall of Fame inductees, conservation award winners, Master Conservationist’s awards and a speech by Governor Pete Ricketts.

The NARD Foundation which provides financial assistance to youth programs in natural resources and agriculture, raised more than $24,000 this year during its live and silent auctions, golf and shootout fundrasers! These funds will assist in supporting more than ten different educational programs in Nebraska to encourage kids to learn more about our natural resources and consider a career in natural resources.

During the Hall of Fame ceremony, three individuals were inducted into the Natural Resources Hall of Fame. They include James Irwin, former longtime Board member of the Upper Niobrara White NRD, Glenn Johnson, recently retired General Manager of the Lower Platte South NRD in Lincoln and Dayle Williamson, retired Director of Nebraska’s Soil and Water Conservation Agency who was key in implementing law that created the Natural Resources Districts in 1972. 

“The Inductees of the Natural Resources Districts Hall of Fame are people who’ve changed Nebraskans’ lives for the better by helping shape how this state conserves our natural resources,” said Bendfeldt. 

Hall of Fame inductee categories include: Natural Resources District Board Member, Natural Resources District Employee and NRD Supporter which includes individuals outside the NRD system. 

• Hall of Fame inductee, James Irwin, was nominated for the NRD Board member category by the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District. He was an elected Director of the UNWNRD for almost five decades from 1972-2013. Irwin has helped educate landowners about the nature of water use and water ownership in Nebraska and supports the chemigation program. He’s also developed the Irwin No-Till Demonstration site on the North edge of Alliance to help local producers and partners adapt to more progressive agricultural practices.
• Hall of Fame inductee, Glenn Johnson, was co-nominated for the Hall of Fame NRD Staff category by Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and Lower Platte South Natural Resources District. Johnson grew up on a no-till farm near Wakefield, Nebraska. Johnson retired this year as LPSNRD General Manager after 44 years of service. Johnson’s accomplishments include the Weeping Water and Stevens Creek watershed projects, the Antelope Valley Project, and the voluntary Integrated Management Plan. He’s credited with lead roles in forging the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance, the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership, Authority and the NRD/City of Lincoln Stormwater partnership.
• Hall of Fame inductee, Dayle E. Williamson, was nominated for the Hall of Fame category, Individual Outside the NRD System by Little Blue Natural Resources District. Williamson was born and raised on a family farm near Ohiowa, Nebraska. He served in the U.S. Army, and was a member of theNebraska National Guard for 30 years. As a leader of the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, he worked diligently with the State legislature to form Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts. Williamson was Director for the Commission until 2000 when he retired. He continued to assist in forming the Department of Natural Resources. In total, Williamson served Nebraska’s natural resources agencies for 42 years. In 2001, he was appointed by U.S. Senator Ben Nelson as the Nebraska Agricultural Representative, working diligently on agriculture and military issues, a position he retained until 2013.

Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Conservation award winners include:

·         Tree Planter of the Year: Robert Price Family, Burwell, NE - nominated by Lower Loup NRD
·         Grassland Conservationist: Lemoyne Dailey, Thedford, NE – nominated by Upper Loup NRD
·         Community Conservation: Mullen Public Schools, Mullen, NE – nominated by Upper Loup NRD
·         NRD Director of the Year: Richard Hadenfeldt, Dannebrog, NE - nominated by Lower Loup NRD
·         Educator of the Year: Ken Malone, Palmyra High School – nominated by Nemaha NRD

Omaha World-Herald and IANR Master Conservationist Award Winners include:

• Agriculture – Ken Seim Family of Chapman, Nebraska
• Community Winner – City of LaVista, John Kottmann, Joe Soucie, Rocky Henkel, and Brian Lukasiewicz