The June 18, 1998, meeting of the Land Committee was called to order by its Co-Chairmen, Jim Lundgren and Joe Jeffrey, at 7:23 p.m. at CPNRD's Board Room in Grand Island, Nebraska. A sign-in sheet recorded attendance. The Chairman informed the body that Jim Doyle of Lexington was appointed acting secretary.

The minutes for the May 19, 1998 meeting of the Land Committee were read and no corrections or amendments were made to the minutes and they were approved as read.

The next matter before the body was a report by Dale Strickland, Jim Lundgren and Joe Jeffrey concerning the latest Governance Committee meeting. Mr. Lundgren reported the Governance Committee reviewed the Charter proposed for the Land Committee and Joe Jeffrey reported a habitat land map was reviewed by the Governance Committee. Mr. Lundgren reported Colorado and Wyoming had expressed concerns over representation on the Land Committee and the weight of their participation at the Committee meetings. Mr. Lundgren reported the Governance Committee established a committee to work on the Land Committee Charter. Mr. Lundgren advised the body that the Governance Committee also advised the Land Committee to provide a more detailed presentation concerning the proposed budget of the Land Committee.

Subcommittee reports began with the Information and Education Subcommittee. Mr. Paul Tebbel stated he was waiting for a plan from the Outreach Committee before further action could be taken by the Information and Education Committee.

The Mapping Subcommittee reported it was working with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and its GIS process to obtain the necessary information to complete the mapping task.

The Habitat Criteria Subcommittee report was extensively discussed by the body, including discussion of the use of scoring points instead of an absolute number of acres to obtain the necessary habitat. Dale Strickland advised that 10,000 acres is a "hard target" according to Ralph Morgenweck. However, scoring should be used as a valuable tool for "costing" property and for determining how choices can be made among available parcels. A question was raised over the value of the exercise of scoring of Cottonwood Ranch and other properties if the Governance Committee will not accept scoring as a basis of satisfying habitat land acquisition requirements. Brad Wind of Colorado stated that Colorado supported habitat scoring used appropriately.

There was a substantial discussion on whether species use of habitat should be included in the scoring of prospective habitat acquisitions. It was moved by Gary Lindstrom and seconded by Mark Czaplewski, that the Technical Committee be asked to review and evaluate the whooping crane data base in relation to habitat scoring and make recommendations on how sighting data should be incorporated into habitat scoring. The motion was voted on and passed.

The next matter before the body was the report of the Third Party Impacts Committee. Substantial discussion ensued over the overlap of work on third party impacts by the Governance Committee, the water study and the EIS work by the Department of Interior. It was moved by Brad Wind and seconded by Larry Reynolds that the Land Committee endorse the development of a scope of work that contains the level of detail required for the EIS Third Party Impact Study and a Land Committee Third Party Impact Study, with the EIS office to conduct the work. The motion was voted on and passed.

The Committee then reviewed timelines and the schedule of the Land Committee. The body then returned to the discussion of whether a charter was needed, required or appropriate for the Land Committee. The Chairman of the Land Committee advised the group the Committee will proceed with work as directed by the Governance Committee concerning the charter. Comments on the charter were to be given to Dale Strickland by July 6, 1998, with copies to be sent to the Chairman.

Members of the Land Committee were invited to attend a meeting with a habitat foundation manager on July 21, 1998, in Kearney Ramada Inn. The meeting will follow a tour to be conducted by the Governance Committee, which tour is to begin at approximately 4:00 p.m., July 21, 1998.

Next followed a discussion of the budget. The Governance Committee is presently developing a draft policy for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses for nonreimbursed individuals for such things as meals, lodging, air fare and other matters. There will be no reimbursement for lost wages. Co-Chairman Jim Lundgren advised he would develop a reimbursement budget and will explain the need for additional information before further budgeting will be done.

The July meeting of the Governance Committee will be held on July 22, 1998, at 9:00 a.m. at the Kearney Ramada Inn. The next meeting of the Land Committee is July 15, 1998, at Kirk's Restaurant at Lexington, Nebraska, at 7:00 p.m.

There being no further or other business before the body, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Jim Doyle, Acting Secretary