Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Rhodell Jameson at 7:10 p.m.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Carroll Sheldon requested a correction to the November 9, 1999, Land Committee minutes: page 2 under "Carroll Sheldon - Committee on Pollution by Waterfowl" should read as: "Carroll Sheldon read into the minutes the statement on the pollution and contamination by waterfowl he presented to the Governance Committee (GC) at their October 15, 1999 meeting. Sheldon called for a vote of support for the statement and for the GC to proceed to correct these problems nationwide. While no official tally of votes was made, an overwhelming majority of the people present at the meeting voted in favor of Sheldon's statement and request. Note: Sheldon estimated that 75 out of 85 people, or approximately 90%, in the audience voted in favor of this statement by a showing of hands."

Sheldon noted five Nebraska counties have unanimously passed a resolution regarding the subject. Strickland noted that the FWS had responded to Sheldon in a letter from Ralph Morganweck regarding the transfer of waterfowl disease to humans and migratory bird issues. Questions were taken with discussion following.

There were no other corrections or additions to the November 9, 1999, Land Committee (LC) minutes. The minutes stand approved.

Executive Director Report

Water Action Plan Committee

Dale Strickland reported the three states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado will provide a list of potential alternatives as a source to provide the additional 70,000-acre feet for water shortages. This list will be provided to John Lawson, Water Management Committee Chair, by December 14, 1999. It will then be passed on to Dan Luecke, Governance Committee (GC) representative of the Environmental Defense Fund, who will list other options if they are needed to supply the additional 70,000-acre feet of water.

Water Management Committee

The existing Tracking and Accounting procedures will be used to track program water in each of the three states. Discussion held.

The Final Report of the Water Conservation Supply study is due by December 14, 1999, and will then be made available.

Strickland explained each of the three states must determine a plan for future depletions, which will be forwarded to the GC. Colorado has completed their plan. Wyoming and Nebraska will present an update on their plan at the December GC meeting.

Technical Committee

The GC will take additional time to review the Draft Report of the Integrated Monitoring and Research document. This has been extended to December 3, 1999.

Strickland stated additional time would also be taken by the GC to review the Habitat Protection Plan produced by the Habitat Protection Planning Task Force. This time was also extended to December 3, 1999.

Questions were taken with discussion following.

Jameson introduced and welcomed Jerry Vandersnick. Vandersnick is Nebraska's Platte River Public Information Officer for the Cooperative Agreement (CA). Vandersnick explained his role within the CA.

Carroll Sheldon read a letter he had written in response to Ralph Morgenweck, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see attachment).

Subcommittee Reports

Mapping

Larry Wells gave a report on digital data developed as of December 1, 1999, for Central Platte River Geographic Information System. Digital data layers developed by the Denver office of the Bureau of Reclamation: river miles, managed lands from public and private agencies, digital 1:24,000 color-infrared images from August 1998 photography, 1998 land use/land cover, observation-well transect locations, county agricultural statistics and basin economic conditions, power plant locations (in addition to those from CNPPID), and power transmission lines.

Digital data acquired from other agencies: 1993 1:12,000 - scale digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangles (DOQ's) from USGS, 1982 land use/land cover database produced for The Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, surface water irrigation boundaries and power plants (CNPPID), and digital USGS and quadrangles.

Wells noted several websites that are good sources for additional digital information:

http://www.nrc.state.ne.us/databank/spat.html

ftp://ftp.ncwcd.org/pub/platte/

http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/platte/

Questions were taken with discussion following. No future meeting dates have been set at this time.

Habitat Criteria

Mark Czaplewski reported the subcommittee met last on December 6, 1999, at Kirk's Nebraskaland Restaurant in Lexington, NE. The focus of the meeting was on continued preparation of the "Habitat Management Methods" document. Subcommittee comments on the first two sections of the report (Survey Results and Literature Review) have been received and are being incorporated. A revised draft will be produced by January 7, 2000, and distributed to subcommittee members and others attending the Habitat Management Methods Workshop scheduled for February 16 & 17, 2000, at the offices of the Whooping Crane Trust near Alda, NE. Workshop discussions and recommendations will be integrated into the final document. The subcommittee has worked on planning the workshop, developing workshop objectives, an agenda and a list of habitat management and target species experts to invite.

The subcommittee was updated on the progress being made by the Habitat Protection Planning Task Force, a joint endeavor of the subcommittee and the Technical Committee. The Task Force has drafted a "Habitat Protection Plan" that was distributed to the GC on November 10, 1999. The Task Force is currently working to incorporate their comments. For the time being, the Draft Plan is a detailed outline needed for the NEPA/EIS analysis of the proposed Program. A more fully "fleshed out" version of the Plan would be produced once more of the specific components of the Program are developed. The Plan would provide direction for habitat protection efforts of the proposed Program.

No future meetings have been set at this time. The subcommittee will likely meet again after the February 16 & 17, 2000, workshop.

Third Party Impacts

Roger Bauer stated that the Third Party Impact Draft Report for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Plan is available and comments are currently being taken. The subcommittee met last on November 30, 1999, at the Chamber Center in Kearney, NE. From this meeting, the subcommittee has determined that an extension on the comment period for the Draft Report is necessary and should extend through the month of December. Current plans entail having a final copy produced and presented to the LC at the January meeting. Strickland will notify the GC of this request for an extension. Questions were taken with extensive discussion following.

Sheldon asked for copies of reports that are produced be mailed to the entire LC database, which includes over 500 names. Through discussion, the LC felt the current method of informing the database of available reports is adequate, which stays within the means of dollars that are available. Strickland will inform the GC of Sheldon's request.

Lisa McDonald noted that copies of the Draft Report are available upon request by calling the Shared Staff Services office.

Land Ownership Entity

Paul Matson reported the final copy of the White Paper is finished and is available upon request by calling the Shared Staff Services office. Matson briefly noted topics covered in the White Paper.

The Facilitated Workshop has been scheduled for January 31, and February 1 & 2, 2000, at the Quality Inn in North Platte, NE. Meeting times are to be determined. A panel of 24 has been selected including farmers, landowners, water users, government officials, etc. Invitations have been sent to the group with responses of participation coming in. Matson stated Collaborative Decision Resources Associates (CDR) will have a preliminary agenda available for the GC at their next meeting. Discussion followed.

Other Business

Vernon Nelson explained the function of the Nebraska Water Leasing Committee, which is a new committee that has been recently formed. The committee's main purpose is to explore the different price ranges of what it would take to lease surface water per year on available farm ground. The committee is comprised of a wide spectrum of members, including bankers, attorneys and farmers. The group's last meeting was held November 30, 1999, at the Chamber Center in Kearney, NE. As a result of this meeting, Nelson and Jameson will give a presentation to the GC at their upcoming meeting.

Upcoming Events *

January 10, 2000 - Third Party Impact, TBD, Kearney, NE, 2 pm

January 10, 2000 - LC, TBD, Kearney, NE, 7 pm

January 19, 2000 - Water Management, Quality Inn, North Platte, NE, 1 pm

January 20, 2000 - Water Action Plan, Quality Inn, North Platte, NE, 9 am

January 21, 2000 - GC, Quality Inn, North Platte, NE, 8 am

January 31, 2000 - LOE Facilitated Workshop, Quality Inn, North Platte, NE, TBD

February 1 & 2, 2000 - LOE Facilitated Workshop, Quality Inn, North Platte, NE, TBD

February 16 & 17, 2000 - Habitat Management Methods Workshop, Whooping Crane Trust Office, Alda, NE, TBD

*All meeting times are subject to change.

Adjournment

Jameson adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m.