Public Lands Day Outing to Fort Niobrara NWR

It was too cool early in a day. There were winds that added an unappreciated chill. And it was too cloudy to be any nice of a pleasant time outdoors.

This was the weather that outdoor enthusiasts dealt with at the public lands day event at the wilderness outlook at the western extent of Fort Niobrara NWR during the morning of Saturday, September, 28th.

To start the time of appreciation, birders listened at the outlook over the beautiful Niobrara River valley where crows were distinct so vociferous. Then we walked about as led by a some so-called local bird expert. Some bird lore of the refuge was shared as we all wandered across the prairie of the northern extent of the refuge, which is one of the oldest such public places in the U.S.A.

There were 14 avian species identified according to the indicative list. It started with a downy woodpecker. Flickers were very vocal as a single turkey vulture floated above the landscape to the west. Two transitory Canada goose flew overhead and were quite notable as they are the signatory species for the federal agency caring for this public land.

One of the best occurrences were one or two very small red-breasted nuthatch vocal among the pines. This arboreal habitat is their home and they indicated this reality on another one of their days in the wild. Four so subtly colored birds on a tree snag finally became identified as pine siskins. A regular towhee of the regularly occurring spotted sort was in the river valley, adding its voice to the morning scene. When a red-tailed hawk flew along overhead, it must have been obviously looking for cottontail rabbits, as two were seen hopping around along our walk route. Other regulars were black-capped chickadees, the blue jay and a very nice flock of goldfinch.

Missing on the list were the LBJs. Those would be the little brown jobs, most notably autumnal sparrows. They would have been lurking amidst the ample growth of prairie grasses but since they prefer to dive deep in the vegetation or lurk behind some shrub growth, their identify was very much anonymous though very present as noticed elsewhere in the Valentine vicinity.

Then on this Saturday, a volunteer of the National Park Service described identifying features of monarch butterflies and their nature. Especially notable were facts about how this species strives to survive and what many people do and can do locally to assist. The reality is very subtle but distinctive as it was shown and explained.

Some errant rain drops ended the event enjoyed by a few visitors to a natural place for which they were notably appreciative.

This event was sponsored by the National Park Service and Niobrara Council of Valentine.

Emergency Meeting Held to Discuss Closed County Road Conditions Due to Flooding

August 29, 2019. Grant County News 135(5): 1, 3.

An emergency meeting was held by the Cherry County commissioners on August 22 to discuss the condition of county roads damaged by high water conditions.

A first action taken to allow accepting road work proposals without going through a bidding process was unanimously passed by the three commissioners.

Next was a discussion of problem areas and potential sources of funds. The budget for road work is currently depleted county wide.

Information considered included a preliminary list compiled by county staff indicating more than 120 locations where roads had been damaged by the storm. An estimated cost of repair was indicated at more than $1.2 million.

Starting the discussion was Gary Weaver of Emergency Management explaining the outcome of a survey with staff from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. During August 12-16 there were 1600 miles driven to determine particular details of work necessities that may be eligible for federal assistance. Locales were evaluated, distances measured and problems identified. Pictures were also taken.

Results of the FEMA review are expected to be available to county officials very soon for their review.

During this time, Lloyd Smith, roads supervisor checked places with staff from the Nebraska Department of Transportation and others to evaluate other places which might be eligible for federal aid. Examples mentioned were near Valentine NWR, south of Wood Lake and in the Goose Creek country.

Federal aid is provided on a cost-share of 80-20 with the 20 percent the amount the county would have to fund.

The extent of road places with problems has continually changed following the “bomb cyclone” storm in March. Locales were fixes had been made deteriorated again following extensive rains in the southern part of the county in late July. New problems also became evident.

Information considered included a preliminary list compiled by county staff initially indicated 124 locations where roads had been damaged storm events. An approximate cost of repair was about $1.2 million.

The county has 1,405 miles of roads, according to NDOT information.

A majority of these roads have been affected by water conditions, officials said.

Roads within the county are classified three ways by county officials: 1) arterials and secondary 2 and 3 (including minimum maintenance) for all others. Roadways and locales where access is basically not available will receive priority, according to the commissioners.

An initial list of 14 especially notable locales has been reduced to seven road closure locations in mid-August. Numerous other roads may be passable to a lesser extent but will require additional work to allow semi-truck traffic.

A discussion was then held to determine which problem sites need particular, basically immediate attention, and where private contractors may be hired to facilitate completion of the repairs needed.

An initial list of 14 especially notable locales has been reduced to seven road closure locations in mid-August. Numerous other roads may be passable to a lesser extent but will require additional work to allow semi-truck traffic.

In eastern Cherry county some of the priority locales include West Wood Lake road and Plum Creek Road.

Repair of the Kennedy Road west of the refuge was nearing completion by a private contractor during mid-August. Final work would include mulching and seeding where dirt work occurred along the road shoulder. The approximate cost of repair was indicated to be $225,000 on the road problem list.

Work to address conditions through west Dry Valley has progressed well and was indicated to be nearly complete.

A priority locale is along the North Whitman road within the immediate vicinity of the Henderson Road intersection and a mile to the west.

The Survey Valley Road continues to have its surface rocked so it can be traversed.

Two other problematic places include the North Ashby Road from Alkali Lake north for five miles. The biggest apparent problem is deep holes that inhibit transit. One rancher said that if these holes were filled that would be very helpful to improve travel possibilities.

Access is constricted along the Carver Road east of the Huffman Ranch, it was explained at the meeting. There is apparently no large truck access. Cleaning of ditches and culverts were mentioned as options to improve conditions.

West of the Fawn Lake Ranch headquarters was said to also be very problematic. There are ranches in this area where there is no public road access. Discussion ensued that conveyed the possible need to change the alignment of a portion of the roadway.

At Steverson Lake WMA the rise of water has constricted the width of the road. There are also concerns that the current conditions might undermine the remaining right-of-way and create a danger. Perhaps the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission could assist in addressing the situation, one commissioner said.

With the extent of work needed more than one contractor may be required, according to commissioner comments. It is also possible that temporary workers might be hired to help complete tasks in a quicker manner.

Currently, there is no amount available to indicate the extent of costs to restore county roads to a condition prior to the bomb cyclone and subsequent rainfall events. The commissioners agreed that repairs would not be completed before the end of 2019.

There were ten county residents present at the public meeting. Their opportunity to comment was restricted, based upon an edict statement by a commissioner.

Ranch women and men are increasingly concerned about the condition of essential travel routes. Reasons indicated include the essential requirement to transport livestock on large semis, hay and seasonal feed may need to be trucked in, difficulty for students to get to school, access for emergency services and not having mail delivery.

There are problems of land access to even drill a well, a local business man explained during an ancillary phone conversation.

In some situations, where feasible, temporary trails through the upland hills are being used to bypass problematic spots, with some residents needing to drive across the hills just to get anywhere. Also, some ranchers are required to drive many miles around to reach another portion of their ranch. Some ranchers have used short-distance cattle drives across neighboring land to move stock to alternate pasture or to a spot suitable for their shipment.

State Highways

In other roads matter, NDOT staff indicated on the 22nd that the depth of water – about 20 inches - along Highway 97 continues to be problematic. Since the problem area is within a closed basin, it is hoped that natural processes will occur and result in a reduction of water depth. This major highway continues to be closed as it has been for months.

Water over Highway 83 at Toms Lake on the Valentine NWR continues. Vehicle travel is limited to one direction at a time as controlled by traffic lights.

Effort to Make Cherry County Flag

August 28, 2019. Effort to make Cherry county flag. Valentine Midland News 48(14): 10. Letter to the editor.

Having recently realized a big interest in flags of various sorts, an effort was made to determine if Cherry County had its own flag. Apparently there is not one, after searching online details, so a project was started to devise something properly symbolic.

Several design options were considered, with input from some county residents. A final design was eventually selected, manufactured and recently received after working with a local company that provided great service.

The 3x5 foot flag readily but simply conveys several appropriately notable features in a realistic manner:

• An overall background color to convey the idea of sand, as in sandhills.
  
• A red colored frame to indicate the county boundary.
  
• Two sets of six stars to represent 66 which is the number shown on county license plates, and also to refer to the dark skies of a vast landscape.
  
• An oval bordered with rope in respect to a primary tool used on the range by cattle men and women for so many decades.
  
• A cow-calf pair because Cherry County has one of the largest number of them in the U.S.A. No particular breed was depicted because there are a many types of quality cattle present here.
  
• A windmill to recognize the availability of ample and high-quality water for stock and wildlife.
  
• Two representative birds because county lands are a haven for avifauna.
  
• A few little pollinators are shown because they are also an essential aspect of county biodiversity.
  

The flag was made so the view is the same from either side.

Only five flags were purchased due to the cost, so each is now an immediate collectible. A flag was donated to both the office of the Cherry County assessor and the Valentine Public Library to ensure they could be freely seen by the public.

Examples of “county and municipal flags of Nebraska” can be viewed by searching the internet using the term in quotes. There are several counties adjacent to Cherry County which also do not have an officially designated flag to convey pride for a homeland.

A Closer Look at the Monarch Population at Valentine NWR

August 7, 2019. A closer look at the monarch population at Valentine NWR. Valentine Midland News 48(11): 1. With two pictures.

Twenty volunteers helped record occurrence of monarch butterflies on a supreme Sand Hill morning with great scattered cloudness on August 3rd at Valentine NWR.

People from Valentine, Thedford, Ainsworth, Bassett, Norfolk and South Dakota helped record eggs, several exquisitely striped larvae and two beautiful flitting about adults associated with prevalent common milkweed, as well as swamp, green and sand milkweed. There were five survey transects along the north side of Hackberry lake where these plants thrive.

Each participant walked along and inspected hundreds of individual plants for any indication of monarch butterfly occurrence. Everyone dodged the poison ivy. Along the way dickcissels and common yellowthroat were heard amidst their favored prairie-land habitat.

The survey was sponsored by the Sandhill Prairie Refuge Association with help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The effort was associated with the third annual international monarch butterfly monitoring blitz.

Dark Sky Reserve Would be a Boon to Cherry County

August 7, 2019. Dark sky reserve would be a boon. Valentine Midland News 48(11): 14. Letter to the editor.

Dear Editor,

The vividly dark skies of the sandhills are dramatically obvious upon looking above and a prime reason why the annual Nebraska Star Party is held at Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County. This is also why there is an effort underway to establish an internationally recognized dark sky park at the reservoir.

This is a wonderfully laudable goal.

Recognition of the dark skies of the region can also be expanded to the adjacent Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest which comprises 116,000 acres of Forest Service property. It is a perfect setting of dark skies above predominant prairie and some groves of planted trees. This place seemingly has only a single light associated with the former ranger station. There are improved roads that provide great access. Camping is available at the Steer Creek campground and there are facilities for horses so it is well suited to outdoor recreation.

Adjacent properties that could contribute to the recognition area include Anderson Bridge WMA (137 acres) and Chat Canyon WMA (418 ac.). At the northeast corner of the forest is a tract of Bureau of Educational Lands and Funds comprising 7600 acres that is leased for cattle grazing.

No lights at any of these spaces.

To the east are parcels associated with the Snake River Preservation Group, the Prairie Club and The Ranch golf courses which might also be considered.

There are also nearby large ranch expanses that could perhaps be included?

Designation of these various locales as a combined dark sky reserve would be a boon to Cherry County and a simply wonderful addition to tourism resources that are an obvious economic benefit. This is a unique opportunity.

Sky watching can be really fun is someone is interested in watching meteor showers while enjoying the night-view of constellations or to get a really fine view of super moons rising above a native prairie or a pine-clad vantage in the Niobrara valley.

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?

Renovation Beneficial to Wildfowl at Pelican Lake

Benefits following lake renovation efforts have been obvious for wild birds this spring at Pelican Lake at the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.

On April 29th, there were thousands of fowl present as estimated by refuge staff. There were five to ten thousand ducks at the lake, according to Juan-Carlos Giese, refuge manager. This included a notable number of shorebirds.

Ten species were observed, according to a checklist available at ebird.org. Atop the list were estimated counts of 1000 for both the Ring-necked Duck and Wilson’s Phalarope. A count of 500 was estimated for Gadwall, American Wigeon and Mallard. Blue-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler were also very abundant. There was also a bunch of American Avocet.

A similar response has been observed at Watts Lake, Giese said.

In September 2018 this lake nearly 800 acres in extent, in association with an aquatic habitat renovation project – focused on getting rid of common carp – occurred at several large lakes at the refuge. This is a cooperative effort associated with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ducks Unlimited is also involved with renovation of lakes east of Highway 83.

Getting rid of carp improves water clarity and notably improves conditions for the growth of aquatic vegetation. Wild birds throng to Sand Hill lakes where there is an abundance of vegetation and clear waters where they can feed.