GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) Board of Directors has appointed Amy Kyes of Central City to represent Subdistrict 9. The appointment, made during the Board’s monthly meeting on Thursday, will extend through December 2026.

The Subdistrict 9 seat became vacant following the resignation of Ed Kyes, who served on the Board for 25 years. Three individuals were interviewed for the position. The CPNRD Board has 21 members, including one at-large director and two representatives from each of the district’s 10 subdistricts. Board members serve four-year terms.

OTHER AGENDA/ACTION ITEMS

Programs Committee
a) Prescribed Fire Program  The Board approved the Program Committee’s recommendation to update the Prescribed Fire Cost-Share Program. CPNRD will continue to provide 50% of the actual cost—or 50% of the landowner’s share if additional cost-share funding is involved—up to a maximum of $2,500 per landowner per year. The approved change removes the previous one-time cost-share limitation on a parcel of land and allows each parcel to be eligible for cost-share assistance every seven years, encouraging more land to be treated. This change will be effective July 1, 2025.

b) 2026 FY Budgets  The Committee reviewed recommendations for Cost Share Programs and the Information/Education fiscal year budgets. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Budget Committee.

Variance Request 
The Board has denied a request from a Buffalo County landowner to move irrigated acres from the Platte Basin to the Loup Basin area of influence. This type of transfer is not allowed under the Central Platte NRD’s Groundwater Management Program. The decision was based on a recommendation from the Variance/Appeals Committee. Following the Board meeting, Keith Ostermeier and Kevin Werner were appointed as alternates to serve on the Variance/Appeals Committee.

Water Utilization Committee
The Water Utilization Committee discussed water availability for a proposed project located in the overappropriated area of the district.

Building Committee 
The Building Committee visited the site of the NRD’s new office and education center.

Violation Report 
Luke Zakrzewski, GIS Image Analyst, reported that 24 of the 25 producers who received violation letters for irrigating land that wasn’t certified or approved for irrigation through a transfer in 2024 have responded and are working toward compliance with CPNRD’s Groundwater Management Program. One of the violations is a second offense, meaning the producer must come into compliance before being allowed to transfer any additional acres. Zakrzewski has no concerns about getting the violations resolved.

Manager’s Report  
Lyndon Vogt, General Manager, reported on the following:

·    Hall County FSA Office: Beginning April 1, 2025, the Hall County Farm Service Agency (FSA) office will provide farm program services—such as commodity safety net programs, disaster assistance, and the Conservation Reserve Program—by appointment only on Wednesdays at the Grand Island office. This change is part of a shared management arrangement among the Hall, Merrick, and Nance County FSA offices. The adjustment helps make the best use of available farm program staff by managing customer traffic more efficiently across the three locations. Appointments will ensure that staff can bring the necessary paperwork and materials for a productive visit.

     The Hall County FSA office will remain open full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for customers seeking farm loan assistance, including direct and guaranteed operating and ownership loans, farm storage facility loans, and other FSA financing services. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at the Hall County field office will continue to operate on a full-time schedule.

·    CHAAP: chaaprestoration.com is a website managed by the Corps of Engineers to keep track of events and the cleanup process at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant. The website is also used as an Archive Repository of past documents that track environmental clean-up activities.

·    Alda Crane Deck Award: JEO received an award for engineering excellence for the design and construction of the Alda Crane Deck from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

·    Crop Reports: All producers in CPNRD’s Phase II & III Groundwater Management Areas have submitted the 2024 crop reports. Two individuals have not paid for violating cease and desist orders but have submitted their forms.

·    Legislation: Legislative bills tracked by the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts have all had hearings.

·    Water Sustainability Fund (WSF): A WSF grant was submitted by Lower Loup NRD for a vadose zone study that would include research projects in Lower Loup, Central Platte, and Upper Big Blue NRDs.

Natural Resources Conservation Service Report  
Joe Krolikowski, District Conservationist, reported that NRCS and CPNRD recently held their FY2026 Local Working Group (LWG) meeting. The LWG provides recommendations to the NRCS State Conservationist on how to best utilize conservation programs in the local area. After reviewing the current cost-share programs available to producers, the group recommended continuing all existing programs. Due to the high demand for financial assistance compared to available funding, the group also suggested continuing with gradual adjustments to some payment rates to provide more access to the funds.

Jason Scholz, Resources Conservationist, Grand Island Field Office, reported on ranking schedules and contracts in Hall County for the Environmental Quality and Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Scholz also reported that the field office is scheduled to start the Annual National Food Security Act Manual (NFSAM) status reviews for HEL/Wetland compliance and present at the Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival in May.

Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Update
Deb VanMatre, CPNRD representative, provided the following updates from the NARD Board of Directors:

·      2026 Budget & Dues: The Board reviewed the proposed 2026 budget and is considering a potential increase in member district dues.

·      Conservation Award Nominations: Nominations are now open for NARD’s Conservation Awards. If you would like to nominate a producer for their efforts in soil, water and grassland conservation within the Central Platte NRD, contact Marcia Lee at (308) 395-7551 or email lee [at] cpnrd.org.

·      NRD Recreation Exploration: This challenge encourages the public to visit as many NRD recreation areas as possible between March 1 and September 19, 2025. Participants can submit photos from their visits for a chance to win monthly prizes, including Scheels gift cards. Photos taken at CPNRD’s crane viewing areas in Alda are eligible for entry. Details are available at nrdnet.org/recreation.

Staff Reports 
Kelly Cole, Administrative Assistant; Nelson Winkel, Prescribed Fire Planning Specialist; and Shane Max, Resources Conservationist, presented an overview of their roles and responsibilities to the Board.

Financial Reports
The February and March financial reports were approved.

Cost-Share  
Eleven applications totaling $23,656.50 for planned grazing, sensor-based management of fertigation, cover crops, tree planting, and well decommissioning were approved through the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program and Central Platte NRD cost-share programs.

Upcoming Board Meetings   
April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24