March 30, 2023 at 7:30 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  Andrew Tonnies, newly appointed director for Subdistrict 3, will be introduced.

Rationale:  DNR notified all NRDs that the reallocation amount for this FY is $157.66.  That can be added to our FY23 state allocation that remains: $81,8143.18
 

Rationale:  We received three new applications for tree planting cost share:

Angie Fuhlrodt  258 trees: $483.75
Bill Zumbrennen  207 trees: $388.13
Kevin Indra  207 trees:  $388.13

With the approval of these applications, the total cost-share amount approved for FY23 = $3,566.26

Rationale: 

The student field trip is scheduled for April 10th in Lincoln to include stops at NDEE, UNL Water Sciences Laboratory, Innovation Campus Plant Growth Research Greenhouse, Assurity Center, and Antelope Creek.  A draft schedule is attached.  If you are interested in attending, please let staff know.
The next SCWIG meeting is scheduled for April 3rd at the Columbus NRCS office.  Topics to include: funding status (319 & NET), student field trip on 4/10, Urban projects, Schuyler golf course (Nation Park service Planning help), AG projects, and SWCS Conference.

Rationale:  Invoice attached from Houston Engineering for work relating to development of the JEDI funding memo and attending meetings to support JEDI funding.

Rationale:  Attached are the current Progress Report and invoices from Olsson's for the past month's work.

Invoice 451816 (1st 3 sites) = $2,873.62
Invoice 451831 (2nd 7 sites) = $62,999.17

On 3/15 Olsson's met with NRCS to review 90% completion.  It was an uneventful (good!) meeting; mostly clarifying how NRCS likes details to be reported.

Rationale:  Attached is the first invoice ($3,437.02) from Olsson for contracted work for land rights acquisitions.  All costs will be reimbursed through JEDI contract. 
After this payment, $206,562.98 remain on our $210,000.00 contract. 
Initial contact letters were sent out with follow-up phone calls.  The final areas were forwarded from Olsson to Great Plains to begin the appraisal research.

Rationale:  Tom Mountford, NRCS field liason, reached out to the NRD about partnering with NRCS in a further WQI.  WQI allocates funding for conservation/management practices that can be funded through voluntary landowner contracts with local NRCS FOs; EQIP.  
The first step would be a "formal" request to NRCS about pursuing WQI partnership and to start with planning phase.  NRD staff will also meet with local NRCS to discuss options.
NRD staff will also be discussing 319 futures with NDEE staff in the coming month.

Rationale:  On 3/30 at 5:30pm there will be a public open house in Fremont, at Johnson Crossing Academic Center, to inform the public about the status, and projected path forward of the East Fremont/Elkhorn Township drainage project.  There is no formal presentation planned, but there will be informational stations set up with personnel from JEO and members of JWMAB available.  Notice of the open house is on our website and has been shard on social media.
As previously mentioned, partner contributions will need to be finalized in the near future.

Rationale:  On 3/20 and 3/27, JEO and members of JWMAB held informational meetings with landowners impacted by potential alternatives from the Rawhide WFPO Project.  
Individual landowners reserved a time slot and were able to sit down and discuss the Project with JEO and partners.

Rationale:  On 3/27 representatives from JWMAB met in Fremont with Greg Johnson of the USACOE to hear the proposal for a General Investigation (GI) study of the lower Platte River; from Columbus to the mouth.  The study does not have federal approval at this time, but if enough local interest (from contributing partners) is generated then the study could commence within the Corps local budget. 
The two main areas of focus for the study would be: Flood damage reduction, or Environmental Economic Business.  Flood damage reduction includes alternatives to reduce flood damage to existing infrastructure via structural (levees, dams, etc) or non-stuctural measures (floodplain enhancement, basement filling).  The Environmental Economic Business includes more multi-purpose uses; floodplain enhancement with recreation components, Antelope Creek.
The GI study will be $3 million dollars with the Corps picking up half, and the local partners picking up the remainder.  Lower Platte South and Papio NRDs have both verbally committed to moving forward with the study.  At this point all plan requests from the Corps for the upcoming FY (begins 10/1) have been submitted.  This gives us, and any new partners (MUD, Omaha e.g.) time for discussions and planning.

Rationale:  - Discuss proposed development in Fremont
- Discuss potential CORPs General Investigation of the Platte River from Columbus to the mouth