Management of Habitat Greenspace at the Valentine Mill Pond

July 22, 2019. These are notes used while speaking on KVSH radio in Valentine on their comment program. On the air for about 10 minutes.

There is a bit of land on the north side of Valentine which has value as greenspace and natural habitat. It is a place for wild birds. Flora thrives. This Mill Pond place is a unique setting and is an asset of Valentine.

In late summer of 2016 some pictures were taken of the triad of warm season grasses – big bluestem, Indian grass and switchgrass. They were growing so beautifully, and being so picturesque with a sky background. Water hemlock was a haven for a healthy caterpillar.

What does a grass space mean? To me it is a place to enjoy the natural setting and where to appreciate floral features vivid against a heart city sky of blue. It is worthy of special recognition. This is a place special to me as a very nice asset of the local landscape. I view this place nearly every day during my travels.

The space is however being treated wrong. Every year the vegetation is destroyed with intent at the Mill Pond. The current management is a policy of destruction of features so vibrant and significant. There has been grass growing upward to the sky. The setting is quite lovely.

Mowing is done without consideration of nesting birds. A territorial Common Yellowthroat has been present this season. Its voice has been prevalent. Did the destructors consider it presence? Nope, is what I was told by NRD staff. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act may have been violated since it states that is illegal to destroy bird nests and young. This action in simply wrong. There was no consideration taken to evaluate whether the setting has any value as pollinator habitat.

This property is owned by the City of Valentine and the Middle Niobrara NRD. The city defers management decisions to the NRD and is currently satisfied on how the site is managed, according to the city manager.

The primary purpose of the tract is to provide an emergency spillway for the pond. Therefore it is mowed annually to ensure there is no growth of woody vegetation and to have a surface conducive for a ready flow of water. This is a secondary overflow measure as the primary overflow feature is the drain pipe which empties into Minnechaduza Creek, below the dam. This was well used in March when water levels in the pond were excessive.

A mistake being made on this tract is the timing of the mowing, in my view. Mowing in July destroys the thriving warm-season grasses and turns a vibrant green space into barren bit of landscape. Windrows of cut grass are left behind and which stifle any potential regrowth.

A spring mowing would help inhibit the growth of cool-season grasses and increase the viability of the more preferential warm-season grasses.

I am hoping to meet with the city and NRD to determine if there could be any changes that might increase the value of this public space.

It should also be noted that there is no management plan for the tract, which could address the multiple use options for the grassy habitat and allow interested members of the public to provide input.

Potential recognition of multiple uses could include educational interpretation (variety of tall-grass prairie plants), pollinator habitat (develop and increase forb species; freely available seeds could be thrown out a few times and eventually they will grow) and management versatility (meet requirements of primary purpose while also developing additional values).

It is time to make this little habitat space the best it can be. This is not the case now in my opinion. I may be speaking alone but I can guarantee that others care.

Valentine has a lot of assets and I’d like to see them all appreciated and that includes a grassy bit of space at the mill pond?

Autumn Prescribed Burns at Valentine Refuge

Billowing smoke on the horizon meant proactive efforts were underway to manage grassland habitat at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.

Prescribed burns were held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on October 25-27 on about 3100 acres south of School Lake and near the Pony Lake headquarters of the refuge.

There is significant planning for prescribed burns, as they are best done while weather conditions are suitable, notably when there are dry conditions and low winds, said Juancarlos Giese, manager of the refuge.

For this autumn’s prescribed burns, assistance was provided by “personnel from the National Park Service (Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument), the U.S. Forest Service (Pine Ridge and Bessey Ranger Districts), a veterans fire crew from the Student Conservation Association, and various U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices,” Giese said. There were 15 to 22 people present each day to control the extent of the fire and to make certain it was contained within the intended area.

“It’s very rewarding to see such a diverse set of state, federal and non-governmental organizations come together to combine resources in order to conduct a safe and effective prescribed burn,” Giese said.

Some of the land burned had been previously burned, Giese noted. "We constantly modify our burn units based on ecological needs, safety concerns and logistical measures. The 2000 wildfires were the last big burn, and touched parts of all three prescription burns" done this October.

Portions of the Wednesday burn around Center Lake and 21 Lake had been burned in 2008, 2010 and 2015, Giese indicated. The bulk of the Thursday burn area south of Pony Lake has not been burned in recent history.

Following the burns, some county ranchers noticed the barren appearance of the hills and expressed some concern that seasonal winds could mean the start of "blowout" areas since there was a lesser extent of vegetative cover. Ensuing dry conditions with unseasonably warmer temperatures contributed to worry about the vitality of the ground cover. A three inch snow on November 17-18th was welcomed moisture.

"Before the snowstorm, there was already a carpet of grass and wildflowers sprouting over the sandhills and meadows, which will provide additional stability," Giese said.

"The root masses of the prairie plants are still viable, ready for the proper conditions to resprout. These roots, combined with standing dead and living vegetation, hold the sandhills in place. People driving past will no doubt see blowing sand and ash, but this is most likely the loose materials at the ground level.

"Many people have asked if these late season burns will create blowouts, but we have never seen any evidence of new blowouts created after or because of a prescribed burn."

These blackened areas do attract a diversity of wildbirds.

Many species made quick use of an area burned last year, including prairie grouse, pheasants, unidentified sparrows, with longspurs reported, along with horned larks, and probably other species, based upon observations by Mel Nenneman, refuge biologist.

During the breeding season after a prescribed burn, the prairie land attracts a variety of avifauna.

Birds that may nest in the short prairie vegetation in the spring following a burn, include Long-billed Curlew, Killdeer, Horned Lark and Upland Sandpiper, Nenneman said. The habitat is "also good for lekking grouse."

"It will be interesting to see what happens next spring for nesting and migration," Giese said. “As these habitats progress through the years, the refuge biological staff will continue to monitor the vegetation to see how these burned areas are affected by weather patterns, different grazing intensities, and invasive species. Biologists will also be monitoring use by migrating and nesting birds to see how wildlife responds over the years to the ecological changes.

“Fire and grazing have always been integral components of the prairie ecosystems. Incorporating prescribed burning in the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge management regime has the capability to benefit all species of wildlife - from the smallest pollinating bees and butterflies, to the birds, deer and antelope that make the refuge home.”

Wildlife Agency Management Practice Destroys Waterthrush Habitat

Controlled grazing by cattle recently destroyed unique seep habitat used by breeding Louisiana Waterthrush on a state wildlife management area in southeast Nebraska.

During a visit on June 3rd to Rose Creek WMA – east, Shari Schwartz observed that one of three known territories was destroyed as grazing cattle “trampled every inch of the seep stream in the heart of a territory and their hoofs left one foot deep muddy peg holes of cloudy standing water where a clear shallow stream flowed in April. I don't know if the damage to this rare excellent habitat the male waterthrush was seen defending is irreparable,” she said in an email.

The area is owned by the State of Nebraska and managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC). The grazing was an intentional habitat management practice.

“While there is little or nothing that can be done to prevent waterthrush habitat loss on private property, it's wrong that there is no apparent incentive in Nebraska to prevent land managers from destroying the precious little Louisiana Waterthrush habitat on lands owned and supposedly managed for the resource values appreciated by the public, including wild birds. The water-associated habitat in the Jefferson county region used by the Louisiana Waterthrush is already so denuded, more loss will undoubtedly have further negative impact on the species’ occurrence.”

“Territorial Louisiana Waterthrush – based upon multiple observations - appear to rely heavily on the small streams and dry washes that contain spring fed seeps that connect to the creeks. Unlike the larger adjoining creeks with flood plains - like Rose creek and Rock creek - the steep topography of these smaller drainages has prevented the clearing of surrounding woodlands for agricultural use. The terrain looks like a little piece of Kansas snuck across the border and there are some impressive rock cliffs along Rose Creek (reminiscent of a mini-Niobrara River valley scene).

“It's been really fascinating learning about the Louisiana Waterthrush occurring in Jefferson county and the Sandstone Prairie region habitat they utilize. The steep prairie hills have rocky drainages with seeps and springs (sometimes on streams but sometimes on dry washes) that the waterthrush incorporate into their territories,” Schwartz said. “We suspect these Louisiana Waterthrush are connected to the population in Kansas by the Blue River drainage instead of the small-sized population of this species that occur along the Missouri River drainage. The introductory notes for songs of the male birds along the Blue River drainage sound very different and may potentially be used to differentiate distinct sub-populations, if it proves to be true.”

Schwartz and John Carlini, of Lincoln, have been traveling eastern Nebraska for several years to observe and study this species of waterthrush, including multiple visits to Platte River State Park. Problems are also known to occur here as associated with management practices by the state agency. The area manager has been repeatedly “indifferent” to adapting site management to conserve waterthrush habitat at the water-based places, Schwartz said. The Louisiana Waterthrush has a very limited breeding extent along the river floodplain.

The Platte valley may be especially important in the biology of the Louisiana Waterthrush because it might provide a link between the Blue River drainage to the south and the Missouri River valley just to the east, notably at Fontenelle Forest, east of Bellevue as well as Indian Cave State Park, further south.

“What's really needed is some sort of meaningful long-term designation or protocol for breeding Louisiana Waterthrush that would prevent NGPC staff from destroying the habitat,” Schwartz said. “Jefferson county could also use some buffer restoration where waterthrush habitat edges have been cleared for agricultural fields (probably long before NGPC acquisition of any wildlife areas).

“Minnesota appears to be more on the ball about their limited number of breeding pairs and has designated the Louisiana Waterthrush as a species of special concern because their habitat of mature forest and good water quality streams is so limited and vulnerable,” Schwartz said. “I think Wisconsin has done the same, basically to keep them from becoming threatened in the future.

“I wish we could do that in Nebraska,” Schwartz said. “Our comments go in one ear and out the other likely because the Louisiana Waterthrush is only a Tier 2 species in Nebr. which doesn't seem to put them on the radar enough for any habitat protection by the state agency which is responsible for conservation of nongame wildlife.”

When officials at NGPC were asked via email about the habitat destruction at the Rose Creek WMA, the following comment was provided by Joel Jorgensen, the nongame program manager: “Louisiana Waterthrushes, while stable across their range, are relatively rare and local nesters in Nebraska. Cattle grazing is a widely accepted management strategy used to increase diversity of native forbs, control invasive species and improve overall structure of, primarily prairie, habitats. As we learn more about what areas and habitats Louisiana Waterthrushes are utilizing, we can adapt our management strategies to optimize management and protection of streams and forested areas on Nebraska Game and Parks Commission properties.”

Despite a second request for particular details, there was no information provided on how management practices may be changed to adapt to conservation of unique seep habitats, such as those used by the Louisiana Waterthrush in Jefferson county.

The initial report on this territory destruction was reported on the NEbirds online forum. The state agency comment was also subsequently posted.

This is a list of the 37 species noted at the area during the birding visit. Further details are available on Ebird [http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S30064166].

¶ Northern Bobwhite (2) ¶ Great Blue Heron(1) ¶ Turkey Vulture (1) ¶ Red-shouldered Hawk (heard with confirmation of call) ¶ Mourning Dove (nest with two eggs) ¶ Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) ¶ Common Nighthawk (8) ¶ Red-headed Woodpecker (1) ¶ Red-bellied Woodpecker (3) ¶ Northern Flicker (1) ¶ Eastern Wood-Pewee (3) ¶ Eastern Phoebe (2) ¶ Great Crested Flycatcher (1) ¶ Bell’s Vireo (1 north of the parking lot) ¶ Yellow-throated Vireo (2) ¶ Warbling Vireo (3) ¶ Red-eyed Vireo (6) ¶ Blue Jay (2) ¶ American Crow (1) ¶ Black-capped Chickadee (3)

¶ White-breasted Nuthatch (2) ¶ House Wren (10, territorial) ¶ Carolina Wren (3) ¶ Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (2) ¶ Eastern Bluebird (1) ¶ Louisiana Waterthrush (3; three territories visited with singing males present; pictures taken and posted with bird report) ¶ Common Yellowthroat (3) ¶ Field Sparrow (3) ¶ Eastern Towhee (2) ¶ Spotted/Eastern Towhee (rufous-sided towhee) (1) ¶ Summer Tanager (2) ¶ Northern Cardinal (5, pair in suitable habitat) ¶ Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1) ¶ Indigo Bunting (1) ¶ Red-winged Blackbird (1) ¶ Brown-headed Cowbird (1, singing male) ¶ Orchard Oriole (1) ¶ Baltimore Oriole (3)

Resources District Manages Habitat at Valentine Mill Pond

Clearing of unwanted red cedar trees at the Valentine Mill Pond has recently been done by the Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District.

The removal of the cedars was done in accordance with fire concerns of the community, said Zac Peterson, the natural resources technician of the NRD. There was also vegetative trimming to clear the corridor associated with overhead power lines. Some stumps will remain from the larger trees removed so area visitors will recognize their presence will walking around the site.

A portion of the lumber from the larger cedar trees will be used to create a sign to commemorate the Big Rock fire that occurred ten years ago, just to the north of the Mill Pond and Valentine City Park.

Smaller portions of the removed trees have been mechanically chipped. These chips have been used to stabilize recreational trails in the area.

The NRD is also chipping cedar trees removed at Schlagel Creek WMA by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Reducing the tree piles to chips is a portion of research investigating whether tree chips as soaked with cattle and hog manure, when spread upon land, can provide mineral nutrients to plants and soil.

Grants from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Forest Service have been instrumental in this research associated with local landowners.

OPPD Habitat Destruction and Threats to Wildbirds?

This is an email which was sent to the Nebraska Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order for initiate an investigation of this situation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also been asked to clarify the situation at the Mandan Flats, in order to determine if the expectant vegetative clearing will impact the status of the wetlands and brooks on this property owned by the citizens of the City of Omaha.

This is a request that the FWS investigate the continual habitat destruction by the Omaha Public Power District. At least 200 miles of corridor are cleared on an annual basis, and done during all months of the year, according to information provided by the utility.

If there is any vegetation beneath the powerlines during the time when birds are breeding, it is more than likely that there is the potential destruction of bird nests, eggs and young. The clearing effort, as personally seen, involves the nearly complete removal of vegetation. What remains is just the ground cover, with a height of less than an inch. There are several species which appreciate the area of particular concern, the Mandan Flats along the Missouri River, just east of Mandan Park. This is City of Omaha property, owned by the citizens.

This is just a small space of special interest whereas OPPD is so completely involved in removing vegetation on large extents of land.

Any destruction of birds nests, eggs or young is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The FWS needs to investigate this situation and make sure there are no violations, or how the public utility is aware of and addressing any potential concerns.

By the way, the state of Nebraska has a somewhat similar law regarding how it is illegal to destroy bird eggs or nests, so perhaps their law enforcement officials should be involved as well?

Omaha Public Works and Carter Lake Pumping

The following email was received April 8th.

I checked with our staff and the ideal lake level, as agreed to by Omaha and Carter Lake is at elevation 970.3'. As you know, the staff gauge for the Lake is currently above water, indicating an elevation below 968', and we estimate that it is probably around 966'.

By contrast, the river elevation is currently even lower, at about 962'. This low river elevation is likely the main driver behind the low lake level, and is expected to remain low for at least the next week or so. Absent a very heavy localized rainfall, it is unlikely that we will see any significant change in lake level until navigation season on the river starts.

With regard to the lake pumping system, I was reminded by our staff that the pumping system was actually designed to provided only about as much water as is necessary to replace summertime evaporative losses. In other words, it's not like turning on the faucet to fill a bathtub, it more like trying to fill an olympic swimming pool with a garden hose. Baiscaly the pumping is likely to only keep the lake at its present level.

However, please help us keep an eye on the lake level between now and April 15. If we can document any significant increase, I will reconsider suspending pumping.

Marty Grate, Environmental Services Manager

Omaha Public Works Department

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This was the reply sent to Mr. Grate.

Thanks for the response. I missed one essential word among the text. You did not mention birds at all, and they are the sole reason for birders to prefer a lesser water level.

I realize public works pays attention to birds associated with tree clearing and the CSO! project, but when will birds be given equal value in regards to management of water levels at Carter lake.

Myself and others would prefer that lake levels be kept below 968 every year until April 15th. Though to get that to happen would seem to be an onerous task.

Also, the optimum lake level of 970.3 was agreed upon by officials of the City of Omaha and City of Carter Lake. There has been no public agreement on this that I am aware of?

Birders Prefer Cessation of Pumping Water into Carter Lake

This is an email sent to Mayor Jean Stothert, Robert Stubbe, director of Public Works and Pete Festerson, Omaha city council.

On Friday morning, April 4th, there was a wonderful variety of birds present at Carter Lake, as the lake environs were most suitable for many birds. The variety of waterfowl was completely unique with, especially, a significant number of dabbling ducks present ... undoubtedly due to the lesser water levels, which make the edible aquatic vegetation available as forage.

These are the species observed during an early morning visit, with birds counted from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. from several vantage points around the lake. There were other birders present in the morning, including two guys associated with a SUV with a Michigan license plate. Obviously the birds at Carter Lake are an attraction to more than just Omaha bird-watchers!

Canada Goose: 38 Wood Duck: 19 Gadwall: 175 A count of 225 on 29 March is the greatest count for this species, and the 175 Gadwall observed on April 4th is the third largest count, based upon a review of 127 records. American Wigeon: 20 Mallard: 35 Blue-winged Teal: 2 Northern Shoveler: 875 This is the second highest count for this species at the lake. Green-winged Teal: 3 Canvasback: 77 Redhead: 12

Ring-necked Duck: 185 Lesser Scaup: 115 Bufflehead: 15 Common Goldeneye: 5 Hooded Merganser: 25 Common Merganser: 12 Ruddy Duck: 15 Pied-billed Grebe: 3 American White Pelican: 3 Double-crested Cormorant: 11 American Coot: 450 Ring-billed Gull: 65 California Gull: 1 Herring Gull: 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 Some gull records courtesy of Justin Rink.

The number of birds present was more than 2200. And since the value to the birds is worth at least $1 per day, the economic valuation is $2200 for this single date.

Upon visiting the north lake pump station, it was obvious that no water was being pumped into the lake. The lake-level gauge was below 968.

Because of the cessation of pumping, several bird enthusiasts were called, in order to get their perspective on pumping activities at Carter Lake. The following birders, as well as myself, agreed that no pumping of water should occur at the lake until after April 15th:

• Clem Klaphake
• Jim and Sandy Kovanda
• Loren and Babs Padelford
• Justin Rink
• Jerry Toll

These people appreciate the many fowl at the lake and would prefer that the lake be managed in a manner suitable for the ongoing occurrence of migratory wildbirds.

Incoming water and the water elevation gauge at Carter Lake on April 5, 2014.

Request to Cease Pumping Water into Carter Lake

This is an email sent March 25th to Omaha officials Robert Stubbe, Director of Public Works, Jean Stothert, mayor, and Pete Festersen, chairman of the Omaha city council.

This is a request that the Department of Public Works immediately stop pumping supplemental water into Carter Lake. Conditions during the past few days north of Bird Isle in the southeast portion of the lake have meant the occurrence of some rare gulls, and extensive numbers of other waterfowl. The water here is shallow enough that the gulls, especially, can stand in the water and roost overnight. This is the first known occurrence of this situation.

The rare gulls observed have been a California Gull (3/10/2014) and four Thayers Gulls (3/23/2014). Both of these species have never been recorded in spring at this lake (based on an evaluation of nearly 11,000 records dating back at least 115 years) and only noted one other time, in November 1993. A rare Iceland Gull was reported on March 24th as additional bird watchers visited the lake, and also took pictures of this and other species. In addition several Herring Gull, numerous Ring-billed gulls have utilized this roost (one observer called the flock a "sea of gulls"). These and other birds are being enjoyed by the local birding community, with the potential of other rare/unusual species as birders have been visiting this locale on a more regular basis in recent weeks, due to the swans and other interesting species.

Any further pumping will inundate this area to an extent that it will no longer be useful as a roost. The gulls will effectively be evicted from this roost by the actions of Public Works.

There are particular points to make in this regards:

1). Why is Public Works spending thousands to add water, which is basically a subsidy to the City of Carter Lake and its lakeside residents. The City of Omaha owns ca. 70 % of the lake surface area, so it should control the water in a manner it deems most suitable. Having lower water levels is no detriment to the setting at Levi Carter Park.

2). Adding water is also been done to improve boating conditions. Why are boaters apparently being given precedence over birders?

3). Carter Lake was established as the Sandy Griswold Bird Sanctuary in 1928-29 through a resolution by the Omaha City council. Yet this designation is being ignored.

4). Any agreement between the City of Omaha and City of Carter Lake, according to my reading, is an agreement to share pumping costs, not an obligation to pump water at specific times. This agreement is about 25 years old, and should be revisited and potentially revised to reflect current conditions.

5). Any spending of public money should be open to comments of the Omaha citizens, including an evaluation of pumping times and extent.

Recently posted on my wildbird blog was an analysis of the economic impact of the presence of Trumpeter Swans at Carter Lake during January and February. The same valuation can be placed upon the waterfowl currently present.

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After an email inquiry as to the reason no response had been received, this was the reply received from Mr. Stubbe on 27 March.

"There is no reason to change the pumping to retain the gull flats because the gulls were observed weeks after the pump started, therefore there arrival is not related to pumping."

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This is my reply, sent March 28th.

The gulls continuing to occur as they do at the flats is directly related to the extent of water being pumped into the lake at the current time. Once the water is too deep for them to comfortably stand, due to ongoing pumping, they will not be able to use the flats. So the city pumping will effectively evict them, as previously stated.

I have never said their arrival is related to the pumping. Their continuing to occur is...

Carter Lake Water Pumping Comments

This is a copy of an email sent March 12th to Robert Stubbe, Director of Omaha Public Works, and Jean Stothert, Mayor of Omaha. There has been no response received, despite at least two phones calls asking for a response, and a followup email indicating the lack of a response.

Thank you for your time on the phone yesterday. My point continues to be that Public Works and Carter Lake officials are making decisions which are not known to the public. There is no information available as to how decisions are made to initiate pumping, the extent of water being pumped, whether or not the extent of pumping adheres to the state of Nebraska permit and how pumping is being done in a manner considerate of all uses of the lake.

Based upon my hundreds of visits to the lake, research and findings, the focus seems to be that the City of Omaha satisfies the needs of home owners and boaters. I have not perceived and consideration of wildlife, especially birds. Even the vegetation harvesting is being done in a manner detrimental to visiting birds.

Until there is a realization of multiple use, and a thorough consideration of multiple uses, use of city funds and operation of the pump will continue to be an issue.

Attached is just one picture which indicates how Carter Lake waters are important to certain birds. In this case, trumpeter swans which have lingered during the winter, and apparently are from Minnesota, or at least one was which had a wing marker earlier in the season. This unique presence has been reported in the Omaha World-Herald, and numerous birds have enjoyed their occurrence, as well as other waterfowl. Myself and others have done multiple surveys to document the extent of bird use, and if you or others in Public Works would care enough to learn about the species, numbers, dates of record, significance, I'd be glad to provide a presentation.

The city of Omaha needs to adapt to interests of the entire community. I look forward to hearing how Public Works will make such an effort in association with the management of Carter Lake.

Update on Management of Natural Area by Levi Carter Park

An update on activities was posted today in Nancy's Almanac at the local newspaper website. The article is titled: "Omaha rehabilitates nature area at pond" and conveys recent cleanup effort and the removal of the unwanted concrete block structure.

So progress continues to be made on the improvement of this site for local fauna and flora.

Improving Northwest Pond at Levi Carter Park

The Northwest Pond Natural Habitat Area at Levi Carter Park is cleaner now than it has been for a long time, and it has been seeded to improve the flora because of activities on Wednesday morning, November 20th.

As the sun was rising behind clouds in the east, the day started with a personal, quick pickup of trash, and then a repeat effort. There were two unwanted concrete blocks that were a heavy burden to carry from the edge of the woods to a place along Carter Boulevard where they could be taken away.

There was then an opportunity to converse with a local resident — he stopped his truck on the street to talk — about the ponds, stormwater runoff, street trash, and most importantly experiences with city of Omaha staff. We agreed that a natural setting was something to appreciate. He was not however satisfied that neighborhood has to deal with the trash (and he mentioned several disgusting things) and water from the "upland" to the west. He certainly wanted the ponds to be kept clean and that Levi Carter Park be managed in a manner that reflects local interests. He was more than disappointed in city officials that made claims that something was going to be done, and then nothing happened. There were "promises made" and they have not been completed. His comments were an acute perspective on how some city officials, with Brook Bench, the Omaha Parks Recreation and Public Property Department specifically mentioned as being a particularly problematic official. This residents words may have been different, so his perspectives in conveyed in a civil manner.

We did not agree on everything, but it was obvious that city officials be forthright and honest in what they say and how they present public property changes and plans to the public, and especially to residents in the neighborhood.

Site Improvement

Staff of the Stormwater Section, of Omaha Public Works then arrived. The three men got to work, using rakes to work the soil to improve and prepare its condition for seeding, and also removing errant twigs on the ground.

The seeds they spread were a native prairie-grass mix which included big bluestem, little bluestem, side-oats grama, indian grass, switch grass, said Andy Szatko. These are warm-season species that flourish later in the growing season. Cool-season species included were Virginia and Canada wildrye, and western wheat-grass. The mix included some oat seed with an intention for it to provide a cover crop.

Some forbs were included in the mix, according to Andy Szatko. He indicated jopye weed, partridge pea, spotted menarda, prairie blazing star, black-eyed susan and echinachia were among the seeds spread. They had been individually collected from other stormwater project sites in Omaha, so there was no cost for their purchase.

With snow pending, the conditions are great for the seeds to get established and sprout in the 2014 growing season.

Through a group effort, a bunch of trash was taken away, including numerous plastic bottles along the railroad tracks and newspaper pages, a nearly oblivious pad of some sort among the grass which was personally torn away and taken to the curb for disposal, a large circular piece of plywood, a mess of carpet, a pile of tiles, a tire from the water, and no longer necessary markers for the nearly completed culvert work.

Also at the scene and actively involved on a great day for this bit of a natural area, were city workers Ben Beller, Jim Kee and Christine Antoniak.

Andy Szatko removing a bunch of tile trash.	Ben Beller planting native prairiegrass mix.
Jim Kee checking the recent culvert work, which was not yet entirely finished.	Carpet trash pulled from the woods by Christine Antoniak, along with other trash we removed.

We accomplished a lot.

There were even a few unwanted cedar trees pulled from the ground to ensure this invasive species would not flourish and create a subsequent, unwanted condition among the flora.

The pond area is jointly managed by the Public Works Department primarily, along with the Parks and Recreation Department. The goal is to have a naturalistic setting at the site, Szatko said. Other benefits include improving visual appeal, establishing a buffer at the pond in association with the adjacent streets, enhancing habitat value, and reducing the extent of maintenance, such as mowing.

Public Works is responsible for the maintaining the pond, and ensuring that trash does not accumulate.

On Monday, Public Works personnel had excavated and worked dirt to improve flow conditions through the culvert beneath the U.P. railroad tracks. That work was done with consideration given to the site being a natural habitat area.

The stormwater pond was initially established in the mid-1990s, Szatko said.

Seeds of the native prairiegrass mix.

Newspaper Story Conveys Park Habitat Situation

A story in the Omaha World-Herald by Nancy Gaarder conveys what has recently transpired at the northwest pond area at Levi Carter Park. The story was issued on September 30th, and included a photograph where clearing had occurred, focused on the south and east portion of the pond.

This is a version of the same story as reported by Leah Uko at KPTM.

The following photograph was personally taken on September 29th, at the same area, showing the west side of the pond. The temporary planting had not yet occurred.

The wooden structure on the left, has only been boarded up within the past couple of weeks, since it was shown to city Parks officials, and indicated as an obvious hazard, due to its having an internal depth of more than ten feet.

Trees Destroyed at Levi Carter Park Natural Area

Signs posted by City of Omaha officials only recently indicated public property adjacent to Levi Carter Park as a "natural wildlife area," and yet, within five weeks afterwards, the first action at the area was complete removal of many valuable trees.

Every tree, especially the willows, along the majority of the south side of the pond were cleared during the past week. Only one tree remained on a portion of the eastern side which was also cut-back.

The removal was done by a tree removal company which trims and obviously remove trees along powerlines, based upon a contract with the Omaha Public Power District.

The trees were cleared since some one had the opinion that they were too tall for the overhead powerline, though there had been no known issue or concern in this regard.

The area would have benefited from some selective trimming, but entire removal or more than a dozen trees is simply absurd and a travesty.

A natural area doesn't mean clear-cutting of the native vegetation, especially without any consideration of the property designation, and without any known notification or consultation with park management. The trees had provided nice habitat and also provided a natural visual barrier for traffic along adjacent Carter Boulevard.

On Saturday morning the 17th, there were limbs, portions of branches and other debris strewn about, with some within the pond water. To add insult to injury, some of the sawn limbs had been purposely shoved into two animal burrows.

About ten trips were required to move the debris elsewhere, and that was a pile to the south, within the park, and across the boulevard. This was necessary in an attempt to ensure eventual removal.

Obviously the men that cleared the area couldn't finish the job suitably with a proper, and thorough, cleanup! It was instead, a half-done effort by the company. Tree destruction gets lots of directed effort, but cleanup seems to be an arduous chore?

A couple of pieces of trash were also moved so they would get picked up, as was done by mid-afternoon. One of them was a window sash which had been along the train tracks, but was thrown from there, and into the adjacent grass. Were railroad men involved?

There is a known track record for trash removal from Union Pacific Railroad property here. It has been one of neglect, since the city had to remove trash from an adjacent parcel, because the railroad didn't make the effort. The only thing the railroad dealt with was the bill.

Disconcerting here during the past weeks has been the dead vegetation due to personnel from the Union Pacific Railroad spraying herbicide on the park property, adjacent to their limited right-of-way. There were also at least two saplings which had been destroyed through the use of some equipment to push at them until they broke over.

Illegal spraying was done several feet onto the city property, and adjacent to where the natural wildlife area sign is posted. It appears that the over-zealous railroad workers had an especial issue with the thistle growth here.

After the effort to get this bit of green-space recognized as city property, then to get illegal motor vehicles excluded, and then have it given recognition as a natural habitat in mid-July, to see the area cleared was more than disappointing.

This tree-cutting raises a greater issue... What might happen next? How will the area be managed in a manner which reflects its character and designation? Further degradation or encroachment needs to be prevented.

Tree debris left in the natural area pond by the Omaha Public Power District contractor.

The south side of the natural area pond showing where the most extensive tree destruction occurred.

Stump remnants, indicating the size of the destroyed trees.

Dead vegetation due to spraying done associated with the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way.

Perspective showing where the tree clear-cutting occurred.

Pile of tree debris personally removed from the area.

Mitigation Details Indicated for Saddle Creek Project

Impacted wetlands and stream channel alterations associated with the lower Saddle Creek area CSO! project will be replaced to a greater extent, because of government regulations.

The City of Omaha is required, through provisions of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, to replace .017 acres of wetland and 417 linear feet of stream, according to the just available mitigation plan. The impacts will occur because of a street runoff/sewer flow separation project — associated with Clean Solutions Omaha — now underway on the east side of Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park cemetary, in the 55th and Center Streets area within the river city.

Site plans for mitigation areas. Both images from the Army Corps of Engineers mitigation/restoration plan.

Wetland mitigation will occur on the east side of cemetery. It will include a 50-foot "permanent, native herbaceous and woody buffer" around the site, as well as a 20-foot buffer along the stream channel, according to the official plan.

Seeds and saplings of a large variety of plant species will be sown. The wetland seed mix will include red top, bristly sedge, dark green bulrush, fowl manna grass, fox sedge, prairie cordgrass, soft rush, Virginia wildrye, water plantain, arrowhead, blue flag iris, blue vervain, joe pye weed, monkey flower, swamp milkweed and sweet flag. Each of these species were listed in the mitigation plan.

Of these species, red top is not a native species, according to David M. Sutherland, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Impacts on trees were also considered and any removed tree will be mitigated. The official plan, indicates that 684 trees need to be replaced, so there will be plantings of native willow species, dogwood, spring birch, maple, hackberry, red mulberry, paper birch, butter-nut hickory, black cherry and American Basswood.

For the tree species mix, Sutherland said: "The tree list looks okay except for paper birch, which is not native to this area. I wonder where they are getting the red mulberry, a native, but rather uncommon tree. It would be good to plant, but I wonder if it won't turn out to be just white mulberry."

Although there was an indicated loss of some few cottonwood trees, they are not, apparently, going to be replaced.

Channel mitigation — to replace "R4SB channel" — will occur closer to Little Papillion Creek, lower in the basin area, and also within the urban confines south of Center Street, especially westward from 60th Street. The property where this mitigation will occur has purchased from private land owners.

Basics of the locale include a requisite flow channel of particular extent and slope, with adjacent 9-12 foot terraces, and having an overall twenty foot width, according to the mitigation plan. "A series of 3 pools and rifles are also planned as part of the proposed stream channel."

On the upland buffer portions of both mitigation sites, the species indicated in the expansive list of species to be seeded include little bluestem, buffalo grass, sideoats grama, blue grama, black-eyed susan, blanket flower, blue flax, butterfly milkweed, dwarf red coreopsis, grayhead coneflower, Illinois bundleflower, lance-leafed coreopsis, leadplant, lemon mint, Mexican red hat coneflower, New England aster, pale purple cone flower, perennial lupine, pitcher sage, plains coreopsis, purple coneflower, purple prairie clover, showy partridge pea, thickspike gay feather, upright coneflower, white prairie clover and white bergamont.

This apparently matches a seed mix available from a local seed company.

"On the upland list," Sutherland commented, "there are a few odd choices: Blanket flower, lemon mint, perennial lupine, and white bergamot are not native to this area. Blue flax is not native and does not persist for long. Showy partridge pea is a somewhat weedy native annual that will be showy the first year or two but will not persist."

The mitigation plan indicates that the created features will be monitored for several years, following their completion, and be the responsibility of the City of Omaha.

Nine separate criteria are listed in the mitigation plan, and are, as summarized:

1. assessment of vegetation
2. soils evaluation
3. vegetation, which includes field sampling
4. hydrology, including identification of surface water and/or saturation indicators
5. photographs taken at a minimum of eight "photo station points" at both localities
6. fauna, which includes "any fauna found to be using the east wetland mitigation site or west stream site will be recorded by species and, if possible, documented by photograph; indicators include actual sighting, scat, nests, feathers, fur, bird calls/song are examples of faunal evidence.
7. sight inspection
8. inlets/outlets, or a visual inspection of conditions at the diversion pipes
9. cross sections - "three cross sections ... will be taken of each of the restored channel, existing channel and created channel; this measurement, according to the permit requirements, will be measured after final grading, then for five more years.

Monitoring will start in the fall of 2014, after cover vegetation is established, and be done by a hired firm, according to Public Works staff. This information, once gathered would need to be submitted to the Corps of Engineers for evaluation.

There is a deed restriction on the project site, and according to city officials "is an agreement between the West Lawn Cemetery, the City of Omaha and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has regulatory jurisdiction over the said wetlands area(s). The West Lawn Cemetery and the City of Omaha agree that the area shall be for perpetual use as a conservancy area in accordance with the terms and condition of the Department of the Army permit regarding fill material in the wetland area."

Initial construction associated with this project are currently underway.

The multi-page mitigation/restoration plan, which included color versions of map graphics, was received — free of charge — through a Freedom of Information Act request to the Army Corps of Engineers, office of counsel at Omaha.

Lower Brule Tribe Proposes Unique Project

A delegation of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe received unanimous support for consideration of a unique plan for habitat restoration at Lake Sharpe.

A tribal delegation including Michael B. Jandreau, tribal chairman, Scott Jones, Joel Bich and Brian Molyneaux presented their plan and asked for support from the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee, during their group's quarterly meeting being held at Omaha, from October 22-25th.

The tribe was asking for support from the group and financial assistance from the U.S. government to correct some of the impacts created when their homelands were destroyed by dam construction and inundation of the river by a reservoir, Jandreau said. The project "can work and become a real extension in an effort to try and heal those things created by mankind," and an "opportunity for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe to complete a project that will work for the benefit of everyone," interested in the Missouri river.

The "Little Bend" project would have several features:

1) an elongated island 200 feet wide, and 6200 feet to provide nesting habitat for the interior Least Tern and Piping Plover;

2) removal of vegetation from a former island — which is now a peninsula — and create a channel to separate it from the adjacent upland, resulting in a 12-acre island;

3) create a one-acre island;

4) create 60 acres of backwater habitat; and,

5) establish some upland habitat for flora and fauna, including the planting of some cottonwood trees.

The off-shore island habitat would not be inundated by any high-flow events, as the Lake Sharpe reservoir has a "stable water pool elevation," said Bich, during his portion of the presentation. The island would also have long-term permanence and require a lesser extent of maintenance, in comparison to mid-channel emergent sandbar habitat created below Gavins Point Dam, for example.

Additional items explained to the committee members and others present at the meeting on Wednesday afternoon, included:

• how the habitat could contribute to the conservation of both bird species, if they were to use the new islands;
  
• the projects could expand restoration efforts associated with the Missouri River to the northern, reservoir sections;
  
• many other benefits could result, including stopping shoreline erosion, which is an ongoing problem along the reservoir shore, protect a cultural resources, create ancillary habitats for various flora and fauna; and
  
• how the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has "the desire, capability and commitment to successfully complete projects."
  
• risks and uncertainties were also presented, including whether or not the two bird species would utilize the habitat, will the project further species' recovery, if there might be predation dangers at a permanent site and long-term management issues.
  

Scott Jones indicated there have been many social, cultural, economic and psychological impacts on tribal members due to dam construction and loss of the natural river. The Little Island project has an interdisciplinary approach with many obvious benefits, he indicated.

Committee members expressed several comments in response, and they were all supportive. One comment indicated that the tribal presentation was unique to the efforts associated with committee activities.

The project design was completed in 2008, with development assistance provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and is ready to be constructed, once funding of approximately $4.5 to 5 million dollars is available. Representatives of the Corps, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also visited the project area, earlier in October.

The LBST asked that the MRRIC that this off-channel habitat project be considered as a high priority for Missouri River restoration projects and that the project be given priority consideration in a current reservoir study. No decision was made at the time on establishing the project as a high priority for the Missouri River Recovery Program.

The MRRIC members, through a unanimous consensus vote, agreed to have the Science and Adaptive Management work group, specifically the tern and plover focus group, consider the project further and then report back all members.

Additional potential projects have also been developed for future consideration on tribal lands at the lake, the reservoir behind Big Bend Dam, which was completed in 1966.

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has already carried out a project to protect their land and culture. An island was constructed that stopped erosion threatening a 1000-year-old earth mound site — designated as a national cultural site — and which was planted to cottonwood trees.

This project has provided multiple benefits to tribal members, said Jones, including scientific and educational values.

"Animals were waiting for this habitat to appear," said Brian Molyneaux, expressing how turtles were using the project site, the spring after its completion. "We need to enable habitat possibilities, and allow animals to exhibit behavior people cannot predict."

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has an active conservation program, and elsewhere on their lands in central South Dakota, the tribe has reestablished the Black-footed Ferret, with young being raised at prairie-dog colonies of only about twenty acres in extent.

Draft EIS Available for Corps' Sandbar Program

A draft environmental impact statement has been released by the Army Corps of Engineers for the Mechanical Creation and Maintenance of Emergent Sandbar Habitat on the Riverine Segments of the Upper Missouri River.

"The Corps is implementing the emergent sandbar habitat program for for the benefit and recovery of the interior population of the least tern and the northern Great Plains population of the piping plover," said Kelly Crane, biologist and program manager for the Corps. "We welcome and encourage input by Tribal governments, Federal, state and local agencies, and the general public. All input will be considered when writing the final Emergent Sandbar Habitat Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement."

The programatic EIS is an analysis of the "potential environmental consequences of implementing the ESH program on the Missouri River," according to an agency press release. "The study allows the public, cooperating agencies (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service), and Corps decision makers to compare impacts among a range of alternatives. The goal is to inform the selection of a preferred alternative that allows for the creation and replacement of sufficient habitat to support tern and plover populations on the Missouri River in a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner that minimizes negative environmental consequences. The EIS is required to "provide National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) coverage for the mechanical construction" of emergent sandbar habitat.

Information about the Emergent Sandbar Habitat Programmatic EIS is available online at the Missouri River Recovery Program website. The document comprises nearly 1200 pages.

The comment period will be open from November 1, 2010 to January 21, 2011.

Public meetings will take place in December 2010 and January 2011, at the following locations:

- Tuesday, November 30: Bismarck, North Dakota, Best Western Doublewood Inn & Conference Center, 1400 E. Interchange Avenue, Bismarck, N.D.

- Thursday, December 2: Fort Peck, Montana, Fort Peck Interpretive Center & Museum, Lower Yellowstone Rd., Fort Peck, Mont.

- Tuesday, December 7: Pierre, S.D. Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, 920 W. Sioux Avenue, Pierre, S.D.

- Wednesday, December 8: Yankton, S.D., Riverfront Event Center, 121 W. 3rd Street, Yankton, S.D.

- Thursday, December 9: Sioux City, Iowa, Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center, 300 3rd Street, Sioux City, Iowa

- Wednesday, January 5, 2011: Omaha, Nebraska, Creighton University Mike & Josie Harper Center, 602 N. 20th Street, Omaha, Neb.

- Thursday, January 6, 2011: Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza, 4445 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.

The tentative schedule for the public involvement meetings is:

5:00 - 6:15 pm open house

6:15 - 7:00 pm presentation

7:00 - 8:00 pm questions/comments/more open house

Final Planning Underway for Arbor Lake Improvement Project

Final plans are being prepared for a project to continue the conservation and enhancement of saline wetlands at Arbor Lake WMA, north of Lincoln.

Preliminary design for the Arbor Lake project.

In an ongoing process, plans for this place have been revised to ensure that the place is a haven for the endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, birds, and other denizens of saline wetlands along north 27th Street.

There were about 30 people at an open house meeting on October 19, said Tom Malmstrom, coordinator for the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership. Poster boards of the proposed design were available for review, and plan consultants were present to listen to comments and answer questions. Soil, vegetation and hydrology of the site was also presented.

"This restoration project will enhance the saline wetland habitat," at Arbor Lake WMA, said Malmstrom. "It is a Landscape Objective of the Implementation Plan for the Conservation of Nebraska's Eastern Saline Wetlands (issued in 2003) to restore and protect saline wetlands. The Partnership strives to implement the goals and objectives of the plan and acts responsibly when opportunities are available to accomplish this."

The Partnership has acquired various land tracts in recent years, and after buying the nearby Frank Shoemaker Marsh in 2003, a plan was developed and changes were made to the area to "enhance" the habitat for tiger beetles and birds.

Measures indicated by the nearly final design plan, include:

• berm removal or replacement, and modifications in water outlet structures
• removal of sediment and excavation to lower soil levels to improve wetland conditions
• placement of structures to limit the erosional downcutting of water channels
• reshaping of the banks of the intermittent stream channels which conduct water into Little Salt Creek
• providing access for small vehicles as needed for site management, as well as for people walking around the site
• demolition and removal of the current walkway and site overlook, which will be replaced by benches where visitors can sit and observe the wetland area

Once a final design is completed in December or January, the $700,000 project will get underway. Funding is being provided by a Federal Section 319 grant, and a Nebraska Environmental Trust grant.

The 63 acre Arbor Lake site was purchased for $60,300 in November 1987, to mitigate for saline wetlands destroyed by the construction of Capitol Parkway West project by the City of Lincoln. Additional acres have been added on the southern portion of the area in recent years, so the area now encompasses 132 acres.

Arbor Lake has long been a known haven for birds, with some of the first notes from 1917, as given in the notes by Ralph Dawson, which continued through 1923. There have been many additional notes from the North 27th Street area in the modern era. After 1985, and in subsequent years during the early 1990s, observations indicate that at least 81 species have been seen at Arbor Lake WMA. There is an overall greater diversity when adjacent places such as the Frank Shoemaker Marsh are also considered.

Weekly Activities - October at Crescent Lake NWR

Refuge week 2010 has come and gone at Crescent Lake NWR located among the grassy, rolling dunes south of Ellsworth, in western Nebraska.

A highlight of the week - though there were not any particular activities for the "official" event - was the passing of migratory Sandhill Cranes, flying southward, as noted by Marlin French, a refuge biologist working on surveys of the vegetation. The evaluations indicate habitat conditions, and the plant cover available for different species of animals.

"We are in the second year of a wet cycle," French said, "and there is now more vegetative growth on the refuge in comparison to dry seasons."

At the 45,849 acre Crescent Lake refuge, the prairie setting is managed for grassland species, with prescribed fire and grazing two of the most essential and important methods of management.

"Our goal is to increase forb and insect diversity," French said, which are beneficial to the animals of the sand hills' grasslands on the refuge.

The numbers of wetland birds has been greater in the past two season, French said, noting that the number of Sora and Virginia Rail have been more pervasive. On the dry prairie areas, there have been fewer Horned Larks due to more vegetative cover.

Trends in bird occurrence are determined by annual point counts and nest surveys. These counts have been done for many years, and indicate a relative status for the species present.

Smith Lake has been especially notable for colonial nesting birds, including the White-faced Ibis, Black-crowned Night-Heron and Cattle Egret, with the Great Blue Heron also a notable breeding species.

There are also the Barn Owls, with the refuge having a local population. Its occurrence obviously benefits from the 24 nest boxes maintained by refuge staff. About 90 birds are produced each season, French said.

A cycle of the season continues at the refuge, which has been recognized for the local avifauna since the early days in the 1880s when ranchers ran livestock, and visiting shootists periodically hunted waterfowl. Prominent in those times were Miles Maryott and Sandy Griswold.

Not recognized during the few days of a week, yet always prominent at the federal refuge, are the generations of fowl, resident or migratory, for which the refuge is managed.

The peak in the local Sandhill Crane season is expected soon in this area of the sand hills. These big birds and a myriad of others continue their use of the hills' habitats which refuge staff closely consider in order to manage for the benefit of birds and other fauna.

There will soon be another week at the refuge and the cycle will continue, as it has for decade by the Fish and Wildlife Service staff, and prior to that by others whom had an influence on the lakes and land in this portion of the western sandhills.

Supplemental Water Improving Conditions for Migratory Waterfowl

As migratory waterfowl of various sorts are winging their way into Nebraska, they are finding habitat at some state wildlife areas that has been improved by water being pumped to enhance water conditions. through .

"Having water is important for wildlife and hunters," according to Ted LaGrange, wetland program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

"We add supplemental water when there is a deficit" in precipitation, LaGrange said. In portions of the Rainwater Basin, there has been a deficit for the year, though some recent rains have helped reduce the extent of pumping required.

"There are good baseline conditions which mean less pumping needs to occur," he said.

Pumping efforts have been underway this season at a number of state wildlife areas, according to La Grange, and include:

Rainwater Basin

• Clay County: Greenhead, Kissinger and Whitefront WMAs

• Fillmore County: Sandpiper and Sora WMAs

• Hamilton County: Deepwater WMA

• Phelps County: Sacramento-Wilcox and West Sacramento-Wilcox WMAs

• Seward County: Straightwater WMA

• Thayer County: Father Hupp and Prairie Marsh WMAs

• York County: Rundquist and Spikerush WMAs

Pumping started about October 7th, in the five-county region of the Rainwater Basin, managed by Brad Seitz, a wildlife biologist with the NGPC. In his district of the basin, pumping is being done at six of the nine wetland areas with a pumping capacity.

Missouri River

• Dixon County: Elk Point Bend WMA

• Nemaha County: Langdon Bend WMA

These sites have been acquired in recent years by the NGPC, and pumping capacity - new wells, electrical connections and other improvements were only recently developed.

Two additional areas are Clear Creek WMA in Keith County, and Wilkinson WMA in Platte County.

"Pumping is driven by hunter dollars," LaGrange said, with the "primary funding source is from our Habitat fund, which includes funds from the sale of habitat stamps and state duck stamps. Ducks Unlimited and the Nebraska Environmental Trust have helped to pay for wells, pumps, and pipelines."

"We have recently added to the pumping capacity on our WMAs and are expending all our funds" on the state wildlife areas, LaGrange said.

Well installed at Sandpiper WMA. Photographs courtesy of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Wildlife officials met in September to discuss the condition of water and to determine if they could make a difference in improving conditions by pumping water, LaGrange said.

Pumping water and providing good habitat conditions is beneficial for different types of waterbirds - including shorebirds - in addition to ducks and geese, LaGrange said. "Birds survive better when we provide habitat that may otherwise not be available. In dry years with limited habitat, pumping especially provides suitable habitat."

"We prefer not to pump," Seitz said, referring to 2008, when there were optimal water conditions and "waterfowl were everywhere across the landscape."

"We set the table," Seitz explained. Aquatic food plants that grew during the summer and early fall draw lots of waterfowl once it is flooded. "This is a condition preferable than having permanent water that can result in a dense growth of cattails and other vegetation that can reduce the value of a wetland for fowl.

"Once waterfowl start migrating they will flock to these pumped areas naturally because of the available water and than they stay on these areas longer if there is a flooded food source (barnyardgrass, annual smartweed, burreed, sprankletop, etc). Sandpiper WMA had a tremendous growth of barnyardgrass this year so I kept cattle off of that part of the wetland and then after we had pumped the area for a few days we had a weather event on October 15th and there was 500 ducks using the area the next day!"

Straightwater WMA after pumping.

Creating suitable habitat for a variety of water birds provides opportunities for bird watchers and hunters, Seitz said.

"I want to pump if we can afford it," he said, adding that "if we can provide habitat, I want to do it," Seitz noted. "People really appreciate" when we pump water to create habitat for migrating waterfowl.

A vast number of wild birds certainly also appreciate the habitat being provided in the different areas that help them to meet their habitat and food requirements as they migrate through Nebraska.

Cooperative Projects Benefit Grouse, Woodcock, and Other Wildlife

Numerous initiatives by the Ruffed Grouse Society continue to manage woodland habitat to improve conditions for birds and wildlife.

"The Society is working to focus its efforts to create large patches of high quality habitats wherever it can," said Mark Banker, with the Southern Appalachians Region of the group, out of State College, PA.

Declining habitat is severely affecting the abundance of grouse, American woodcock and other wildlife all over the eastern U.S.

"Cutting trees to maintain old field habitat with a CAT and tree shear‏.‏" Images courtesy of Mark Banker.

"Through an ever-expanding network of public and private partners, the use of heavy equipment has greatly increased the ability of RGS to create quality grouse and woodcock habitat. Shared resources and expertise among the partners is the key."

More than 80 habitat projects – comprising 1241 acres – have been completed since 2004 in the Central Appalachian region of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Ohio.

The habitat management in this region – including aspen and shrub regeneration, removal of exotic shrubs and tree shearing for example - has been done with public and private landowners, and in cooperation with the various Departments of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and DCNR, and the U.S. Forest Service.

A sizable cost-share project with the U. S. Forest Service to maintain native shrubs and other wildlife habitat on approximately 400 acres of reclaimed strip mines on the Wayne National Forest in eastern Ohio was completed by the RGS on December 31, 2008, and began a second year of work in mid-July.

"The Forest Service is battling invasive shrubs like autumn olive and multi-flora rose on these sites," according to the RGS. "Ideally, portions of the project will be allowed to succeed to native shrubs and small trees. This stage of succession will provide prime habitat for grouse, woodcock, possibly quail, and a group of songbirds that likely is found few other places on the Forest."

"This was probably the largest cooperative project RGS has ever done with the Forest Service and the first of any kind for RGS on the Wayne," noted Mark Banker, who is overseeing the project for RGS. "The Forest Service staff and local RGS members were the catalysts for getting it done. It was a very ambitious project, but a unique opportunity for RGS to support early successional habitat management on this national forest. Now we are going to try it again and are just underway."

A "cost-share agreement provided RGS with $24,000 for future habitat projects in return for the use of their equipment and a very skillful, local equipment operator."

The Society has also been a partner in projects conducted with the Army Corp of Engineers, Banker said: "A cooperative project at Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County, PA, known as the Bashline Project has created 1,300 acres of new habitat through timber harvest and hundreds of more acres via mowing with RGS equipment, chain-sawing and planting on Corps lands. RGS has committed over $60,000 to this project over more than a decade."

Aspen regenerated using a tree shear, Pennsylvania.‏

The equipment program of the Society has allowed them and their partners "to manage high quality habitats that typically are neglected because of the lack of proper equipment. Woodcock in particular have benefited because large areas of old fields, prime woodcock habitat, that are typically left to convert to forests are now maintained as shrublands."

To date, more than 1,300 hundred acres of habitat have been managed to provide habitat required by a variety of species.

"This success would not have been possible with financial assistance, especially from foundations," Banker said.

"In the Spring of 2009, the Society received three grants totaling $182,000 for two ASV/Terex PT-100 Forestry loaders with mulching heads with grants of from the R.K. Mellon Foundation, the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation located in East Jordan, Michigan."

"The equipment will be used to manage neglected aspen, alder and brush habitats for ruffed grouse, woodcock and many other species, primarily in Michigan and Wisconsin," and are "important tools to help the Ruffed Grouse Society target habitat improvements for woodcock in habitat like alder, that is not being managed by commercial harvests," said Gary Zimmer, RGS senior biologist in the Western Great Lakes Region. "With this equipment the Society will be one of the primary implementers of the Upper Great Lakes Woodcock and Young Forest Habitat Initiative."

In 2007, the Society had received another grant from the R.K. Mellon Foundation to purchase two more CAT multi-terrain loaders and a new mulching cutting head. The grant, according to the Society, "made it possible for RGS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the use of these machines into New England, Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia and wherever they can address habitat management needs."

"We were really inspired by what the Service’s Partners for Wildlife program was doing with small machines in Pennsylvania," said Banker. "They were doing more for woodcock habitats with their small machines than the rest of us combined, so we decided to follow their lead."

The Society purchased its first-ever piece of machinery in 2004, a Caterpillar 277B multi-terrain loader, a tree sheer and a heavy-duty mower, with a grant from the R.K. Mellon Foundation, Society records show.

"As heavy equipment goes, these are not extremely expensive machines, but without the generosity of Foundations, they would be out of reach financially," Banker said. "To hire someone to do the same work with these machines would be at least $120 per hour, so they pay for themselves very quickly. RGS does charge for work on private lands and reinvests the money into keeping the equipment running and completing other conservation projects.

"The machine purchased with the grant funds has so-far accomplished more than $100,000 worth of habitat work on public land, based conservatively on the cost of contracting," according to the Society.

"Because many of the projects target woodcock and grouse, the Society often sees an immediate response from the birds after converting poor habitat to something more usable," Banker noted. "A recent project on public lands enticed woodcock to immediately use an area where none had been detected in the previous five years. Literally dozens of songbirds have the same habitat requirements as grouse and woodcock. Their response also has been dramatic. One managed area in Pennsylvania has even spawned a research project on golden-winged warblers, a relatively rare species that has benefited from the habitat manipulations.

"In some cases, Society members have acted as stewards of certain projects and have even volunteered to run the equipment. The machines are so user friendly that their basic operation can be taught in less than an hour. This has been a great way to get folks more involved with habitat management."