GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –  The Central Platte Natural Resources District’s Board of Directors will consider updating its Urban Conservation Program at their monthly meeting to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at the CPNRD office located at 215 Kaufman Avenue in Grand Island, NE.

Central Platte NRD’s Urban Conservation Program was developed in 2017 as a cost-share program to assist cities, villages and counties within the NRD to establish or improve public recreational areas and acquisition of land or land rights for recreational purposes. Communities who have received funds through this program include Grand Island, Kearney, Gothenburg, Lexington and Cairo.

The Urban Conservation Program has two cost-share programs for communities. The Recreation Area Development Program is designed to assist sponsors with the acquisition of land or land rights, and to establish, develop and improve public recreational areas. The Trails Assistance Program is designed for trails projects that have received approval for funding under the Transportation Enhancement Program administered by the Nebraska Department of Roads or the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Projects that are approved receive 50% cost-share of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $40,000 for each project.  Applications are accepted annually and due by March 1st.  The Programs Committee will review the proposed revisions to the conservation ranking priorities and take their recommendation to the Board for consideration.

AGENDA/ACTION ITEMS

-Long Range Implementation Plan   Marcia Lee, Information/Education Specialist, will request approval of the proposed 2022-2027 Long Range Implementation Plan. The Plan was provided to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources for review in August. The Plan summarizes district activities including projections of financial, manpower and land right needs of the district for the next five years and is updated annually as required by the Nebraska Natural Resources District Act. 

-Natural Resources Conservation Service  Joe Krolikowski, District Conservationist and Jason Scholz, Resource Conservationist, will report.

-Nebraska Natural Resources Commission  Mick Reynolds, Middle Platte Basin Representative, will report.

-Cost-Share  Applications through the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation and the Central Platte NRD cost-share programs will be considered.