FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM ASSESSMENT OF NEED For the State of

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This document was produced in partnership with the US Forest Service. UNL does not discriminate based upon any protected status. Please see http://www.unl.edu/equity/notice-nondiscrimination

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Contents List of Tables ...... 6 List of Figures ...... 6 1. Statement of Purpose ...... 8 Forest Legacy Background ...... 8 2. Program Direction ...... 10 Goals and Objectives ...... 10 Preparation for this Assessment of Need ...... 11 Selection Ranking Procedure ...... 13 3. History and Cultural Heritage ...... 14 Cultural Resource Protection ...... 16 4. Fish and Wildlife ...... 17 5. Recreation ...... 19 6. Geologic Features ...... 19 7. Aesthetic and Scenic Resources ...... 19 8. Mineral Resources ...... 20 9. Forest Characteristics ...... 21 Setting ...... 21 Ownership ...... 23 Coniferous Forest ...... 23 Transitional Mixed Forest ...... 24 Riparian Forests ...... 25 10. Forest Health Threats ...... 27 Current & Emerging Insect & Disease Threats...... 27 Future Conditions & Trends...... 29 11. Invasive & Aggressive Native Plant Species ...... 29 Current Conditions ...... 29 Future Conditions & Trends...... 31 12. Soil Productivity ...... 31 13. Water Resources ...... 31 Water Quality ...... 32 14. Weather & Climate ...... 33 Climate ...... 33

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Wildfire- Current Conditions ...... 35 Trends ...... 37 15. Land Use ...... 37 Current Conditions ...... 37 Trends ...... 38 Impacts on Nebraska’s Forest Resources...... 38 Primary Forest Areas - Trend ...... 40 Fragmentation and Parcelization ...... 40 16. Nebraska’s Forest Products ...... 41 Woody Biomass ...... 42 17. Rural Forest Legacy Area Descriptions ...... 43 Priority Forest Landscape: Pine Ridge FLA ...... 45 Protected Landscapes ...... 46 Critical Issues: ...... 46 Forest Legacy Goals: ...... 47 Priority Forest Landscape: FLA ...... 47 Protected Landscapes ...... 48 Critical Issues: ...... 49 Forest Legacy Goals: ...... 49 Priority Forest Landscape: Valley FLA ...... 49 Protected Landscapes ...... 50 Critical Issues: ...... 51 Forest Legacy Goals: ...... 51 Priority Forest Landscape: FLA ...... 51 Protected Landscapes ...... 54 Critical Issues: ...... 54 Forest Legacy Goals: ...... 55 Priority Forest Landscape: FLA ...... 55 Eastern (Lower) Platte River ...... 56 Protected Landscapes ...... 57 Critical Issues: ...... 57 Forest Legacy Goals: ...... 58 Central Platte River ...... 58

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Protected Landscapes ...... 59 Critical Issues ...... 59 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 59 Western Platte River ...... 60 Protected Landscapes ...... 61 Critical Issues ...... 61 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 61 Overview of Protected Landscapes along the Platte River System ...... 61 Priority Forest Landscape: Elkhorn River FLA ...... 61 Protected Landscapes ...... 62 Critical Issues ...... 62 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 63 Priority Forest Landscape: Republican River FLA ...... 63 Protected Landscapes ...... 64 Critical Issues ...... 64 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 65 Priority Forest Landscape: Loup River FLA ...... 65 Protected Landscapes ...... 66 Critical Issues ...... 66 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 67 18. Urban FLAs ...... 67 Priority Forest Landscape: Lincoln FLA ...... 67 Protected Landscapes ...... 69 Critical Issues ...... 70 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 70 Priority Forest Landscape: Omaha FLA ...... 70 Protected Landscapes ...... 71 Critical Issues ...... 72 Forest Legacy Goals ...... 72 19. Public Participation ...... 72 20. Resource Plans ...... 77 21. Literature Cited ...... 78 Appendix ...... 81

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Appendix A: Nebraska Forest Service Summary ...... 82 Appendix B: State Stewardship Coordination Committee June 2016 ...... 83 Appendix C: Nebraska’s Soil Data...... 84

List of Tables Table 1: Nebraska Threatened & Endangered Species ...... 17 Table 2: Forested Acres within FLAs ...... 44

List of Figures Figure 1: Nebraska Population Trend ...... 10 Figure 2: Forest Legacy Areas ...... 12 Figure 3: Trends in Volume by Species (million cubic feet) ...... 21 Figure 4: Actively and Managed Forest Areas ...... 22 Figure 5: Forest Ownership by Group ...... 23 Figure 6: Pine Forest in the Pine Ridge ...... 23 Figure 7: Eastern Redcedar Forest ...... 24 Figure 8: Nebraska's Niobrara River Mixed Hardwood/Ponderosa Pine Transitional Forest ...... 25 Figure 9: Riparian Forest Ecosystem ...... 26 Figure 10: Ash Distribution in Nebraska ...... 28 Figure 11: Areas Identified for Enhanced Water Quality ...... 32 Figure 12: Monthly Precipitation for Falls City and Scottsbluff ...... 33 Figure 13: Pilger Nebraska Tornados - 2014 ...... 34 Figure 14: Precipitation Pattern for Nebraska (nationalatlas.gov) ...... 35 Figure 15: Fire Return Interval Trends in Nebraska ...... 37 Figure 16: Extent of Forest Types by Area in Acres ...... 38 Figure 17: Distribution by Species ...... 39 Figure 18: Distribution of Forests Across Nebraska ...... 39 Figure 19: Family Reason for Owning Forestland in Nebraska (Meneguzzo et al. 2005) ...... 40 Figure 20: Communities With Population Over 15,000 ...... 41 Figure 21: Nebraska Priority Forest Landscapes ...... 43 Figure 22: Forested Acres Within FLAs ...... 44 Figure 23: Pine Ridge Forest (NFS) ...... 45 Figure 24: Pine Ridge FLA ...... 46 Figure 25: Bluff and Forest Interface (NFS) ...... 47 Figure 26: Wildcat Hills FLA ...... 48 Figure 27: Chat Canyon Forest Legacy Property in Niobrara River Valley ...... 49 Figure 28: Niobrara FLA ...... 50 Figure 29: Missouri River Bluffs (NFS)...... 52 Figure 30: Northern Missouri River FLA ...... 53 Figure 31: Southern Missouri River FLA ...... 54 Figure 32: Braided Channels of the Platte River (NGPC/Nebraska Land Magazine) ...... 56 Figure 33: Eastern Platte River FLA ...... 57

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Figure 34: Central Platte River FLA ...... 59 Figure 35: Western Platte River FLA ...... 60 Figure 36: Elkhorn FLA ...... 62 Figure 37: Republican River FLA ...... 64 Figure 38: Loup River FLA ...... 66 Figure 39: Urban FLA Areas (includes a 25-mile buffer around the city limits) ...... 68 Figure 40: Lincoln FLA Priority Areas (Lincoln’s Master Plan, 2012) ...... 69 Figure 41: Omaha Metro Master Plan Map (City of Omaha Master Plan, 2000) ...... 71 Figure 42: Types of Areas Visited by Nebraskans ...... 73 Figure 43: Importance of Forest Management ...... 73 Figure 44: Manage Forests to Reduce Threats ...... 74 Figure 45: Forests are Important to Protect and Enhance Water Quality ...... 74 Figure 46: Trees Enhance Air Quality...... 75 Figure 47: Forests Importance for Fish and Wildlife...... 75

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1. Statement of Purpose The Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 provides authority for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial, technical, educational, and related assistance to states, communities, and private forestland owners. Section 1217 of Title XII of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-624:104 stat.3359), referred to as the 1990 Farm Bill, amended the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act to and allows the Secretary to establish the FLP to protect environmentally important forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non- forest uses.

The goal of the legislation was to protect scenic, cultural, fish, wildlife, water quality, and recreational resources. This authority continues indefinitely, and permitted the outright purchase of threatened forestland (or development rights via conservation easements) by federal agencies. This legislation was further amended in 1996 to allow state agencies to hold the title or easement on properties in the program.

Through the 1996 Farm Bill (federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996; Public Law 104-127); Title III – Conservation; Subtitle G – Forestry; Section 374, Optional State Grant for FLP), the Secretary is authorized, at the request of a participating State, to make a grant to the state to carry out the FLP in the state, including the acquisition by the state of lands and interest in lands.

For Nebraska to participate in the FLP, the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) was identified by the Governor of Nebraska on April 10, 2000 to be the state agency to lead the Forest Legacy Program (FLP).

Conservation Methods Conservation Easements Within the FLP the acquisition of rights, utilizing conservation easements can protect the value of the priority working forest and other resources. This transaction requires a willing seller to give up certain rights, for a fee or the appraised value before and after the surrender of the right. The right sold typically includes the development or the right to sub-divide which then places a permanent restriction on the title as related to the rights sold. In Nebraska, a third party is necessary to hold the easement; this is often a Natural Resource District, which is a government entity or local government. In addition, a conservation group or land trust may be involved in a legal agreement between the landowner, government entity and the conservation group or trust.

Fee Simple Interest Nebraska has used a fee simple interest approach to acquire the rights to forested properties. This is another method of protection allowed under the FLP. While the fee simple purchase can be more expensive up front, this typically provides the state greater control of the lands their management. Properties of high conservation value will be considered for this approach.

Forest Legacy Background The FLP authorizes the USDA Forest Service or state governments to purchase critical forestlands for the purpose of preventing those lands from being converted to a non-forest use. Forestlands that contain important scenic, cultural, recreational, fish and wildlife habitats, water or other ecological resources that will support continued traditional forest uses will receive priority. Lands purchased under this program will continue or become productive and working forestlands with an active management plan.

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Nebraska contains 1.24 million acres of forestlands and 2.01 million acres of non-forested acres with trees. Nebraska boasts a diverse array of forest resources, from the ponderosa pine forests of the Panhandle’s Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills to the hardwood forests of the Missouri River bluffs.

Eight-seven percent of Nebraska’s production of biomass comes from private nonindustrial forests. State and local properties contribute 7 percent of the total biomass and federal lands produce approximately 6 percent available for processing. Private non-industrial landowners own 89 percent of the state’s forestland and the public owns 11 percent.

Conversion of land for non-forest use remains a significant threat to private forests as landowners continue to experience economic pressure to convert lands to higher value uses. With population growth, urbanization continues to threaten riparian forests in the eastern and central portions of Nebraska.

While Nebraska’s forests have an extensive range and grow in diverse areas, they face a wide range of serious threats. These threats range from uncharacteristic wildland fires to destructive invasive insects and diseases; a changing climate; increased urbanization; and pressure for conversion to agricultural use resulting in the loss of forests. Key areas for this Assessment of Need (AON) will focus on privately held forestlands threatened by one or more of the following non-forest uses:

• Conversion and fragmentation o Higher value use conversion from forest to agriculture or other use • Parcelization o Conversion from large properties into smaller and smaller ownerships • Urbanization o Conversion from forest to primary homes, ranchettes and second homes

In rural areas, increasing commodity prices and drought negatively affect people’s perception of the value of forest resources. People’s attitudes and behaviors toward trees are shifting. Changes in crop prices and land values have led to an increased emphasis on using as much land as possible for row crops. The recent droughts—leading to concerns about trees competing with crops for water— caused many landowners to question the value provided by trees and forests. The rapid and widespread adaptation of pivot irrigation has spurred landowners to remove riparian and buffer trees across the state. Producers have less time to manage for conservation and instead opt to simplify their operations by removing trees.

Nebraska’s population growth has typically been slower than other states. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population rose from 2000 to 2010 by 6.7 percent for Nebraska. The total census population changed from 1,826,341 in 2010 to 1,881,503 in 2014 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). While Nebraska averages 23.8 people per square mile (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011), most of the population is concentrated in the eastern quarter of the state and along the Platte and North Platte rivers. More than half of Nebraska’s population lives in Lancaster, Sarpy and Douglas counties in eastern Nebraska (Nebraska Blue Book, 2009); making protection of the riparian forests a critical need for the state in these areas. Douglas County, for example, which includes Omaha and is Nebraska’s most heavily populated county, contained 1,562 people per square mile (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011).

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Figure 1: Nebraska Population Trend

2. Program Direction Nebraska’s FLP focuses on environmentally important landscapes which are increasingly threatened. Although largely a rural state, areas where the population density is high are experiencing conversion of critical forest habitat to other uses. Some of the more rural areas are threatened by the influx of out of state persons that purchase relatively low value forestlands for second homes and ranchettes.

Federal guidelines establish criteria to purchase and/or protect—through easements and fee simple purchases—environmentally important forest areas threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. The program provides protection for the conservation value including fish and wildlife, scenic, water, recreation and other important ecological values of these forested lands. The guideline encourages keeping Nebraska’s “Working Forests Working” allowing for the traditional uses of these forests environments to include forest stewardship and management practices.

Goals and Objectives This assessment of needs closely adheres to many of the goals of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project (NNLP) developed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Forest Action Plan (FAP). More specifically, we used the framework of Biologically Unique Landscapes found in the NNLP and the Priority Forest Landscapes found in the FAP to identify a set of Forest Legacy priority

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landscapes. The purpose of utilizing these documents was to bring this AON, the FAP and the NNLP into alignment to conserve these important working forests while protecting Nebraska’s biological diversity and other forest legacy values. Nebraska’s Priority Forest landscapes are identified in Nebraska Statewide Forest Action Plan as critical ecological areas within our forest regions. These areas were selected because of the unique ecological contribution each provides Nebraska. In this AON, a review and evaluation of each Priority Forest Landscape was completed to identify which areas should be included based on the current risk of conversion. Specific priorities for the areas were identified.

To access the areas in need of protections for the FLP, NFS reviewed the previous AON to determine the relevance of the Forest Legacy areas in today’s environment. A review of privately-owned forest areas included the assessment of the threats from conversion and development as well as other aforementioned threats to the resource. Each area was evaluated using the criteria and process described below.

Preparation for this Assessment of Need This AON was produced internally by the Nebraska Forest Service, in consultation with the Nebraska Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee (NFSCC) for submission to the USDA Forest Service (USFS).

The team members, included: Dr. Scott Josiah, State Forester & Director John Erixson, Deputy Director & Forest Legacy Manager Joe Stansberry, GIS Specialist John DuPlissis, Rural Forestry Program Leader Mark Harrell, Forest Health Program Leader Kyle Martens, Communications Specialist Adam Smith, Forest Products Program Leader Eric Berg, Community Forestry & Sustainable Landscapes Program Leader

This AON is a compilation of publically available information and internal data from the Nebraska Forest Service. Sources are identified and documented where possible; however, this is not intended nor should it be treated as a professional paper or journal article. This collection of public information and its synthesis are intended to present the information in a useful way for readers. The Forest Legacy areas were reviewed and approved by the NFSCC which reflects the new priorities as identified in this AON.

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Figure 2: Forest Legacy Areas

The overall goals are the basis for implementing the FLP in Nebraska. Each goal serves as critical direction for the program. The general goal is to protect ecologically important forest systems in Nebraska. Priorities for protection include:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. a. Promote diversity of Nebraska’s forests and sustained productivity. b. Link working forests to the plant and animal diversity. c. Protect rare and important ecological systems. 2. Protection of ecologically unique forest environs to include the eastern most extension of ponderosa pine forests in the United States. a. Protect seed source. b. Maintain landscape scale blocks of ponderosa pine. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. a. Protect threatened riparian forest in urban areas. b. Protect biologically unique landscape found around Nebraska’s rivers and streams. 4. Connectivity of other conservation lands. a. Link protected forests both private and public. b. Build connectivity to conservation lands. 5. Protection of wildlife, wildlife habitat and T&E species. a. Protect rare species both flora and fauna. b. Promote forest management that provides quality wildlife habitat enhancement.

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c. Promote wildlife corridors especially around communities and critical habitat. 6. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. a. Protect forests in and around communities to help connect people with trees. b. Provide outdoor classroom opportunities in forest environments. 7. Protection of unique geologic areas including minerals and fossil beds. a. Provide protection for unique geologic sites for education, recreation and outreach. 8. Protection of cultural resources including historic sites. a. Protect historic sites and cultural sites. b. Provide access to important sites when appropriate. 9. Protection of forest based recreation. a. Provide public access when possible. b. Increase public awareness through forest education and use of these sites. 10. Protection of water resources. a. Protect riparian forests function. 11. Protection of soil productivity. a. Protect highly erodible soils. 12. Forest Products and timber production. a. Promote economic value of the forest resources. b. Protect working forest economic value. c. Link working forest areas.

Many of the state’s working forests contain multiple characteristics provided in the goals above. Areas providing multiple benefits will rate higher as part of the internal evaluation process— defining priority projects for the Nebraska FLP.

Selection Ranking Procedure Project proposals will be identified through a request for proposal managed by the Nebraska Forest Service Forest Legacy Manager. A subcommittee of the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee (SFSCC) will review submitted projects, assign values to the project attributes according to the program ranking system, and rank the projects according to the total value derived from the ranking system. These ranked projects will then be submitted to the Nebraska State Forester for additional review and consideration. Following the State Forester’s final ranking approval, proposed projects will be submitted for national consideration.

The Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) will lead the Nebraska’s FLP. As such, NFS will prioritize FLP projects using the following criteria:

1. Degree of Threat (750 points) a. Priority will be given to projects on properties that have proof of a high degree of threat of development, conversion, fragmentation or parcelization. 2. Public Resource Benefits (100 points) a. Priority will be given to properties likely to have direct and indirect scenic and/or recreation benefits. b. Priority will be given to projects that provide significant public aesthetic and scenic value. 3. Ecological/Cultural benefits (750 points) a. Priority will be given to properties likely to have significant ecological, cultural, and environmental benefits. 4. Wildlife, Fish and T&E (500 points) a. Priority will be given to properties likely to have significant wildlife benefits.

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b. Priority will be given to properties that have significant benefits to any T&E species, particularly critical habitat. 5. Water Quality and Watershed Protection (500 points) a. Priority will be given to properties likely to have significant water quality and watershed protection benefits. 6. Strategic Initiative (250 points) a. Priority will be given to projects that fit within a larger conservation plan, strategy, or initiative, connect to or lead to additional conservation investments in the region. b. Priority will be given to properties that leverage previous conservation effort and create connectivity. 7. Forest Resource Benefits (500 points) a. Priority will be given to properties likely to have significant forest resource economic benefits. b. Priority will be given to projects with significant forest management activities. 8. Proof of Readiness (150 points) a. Priority will be given to projects that have community support, identified matching funds and partnership involvement. b. Priority will be given to projects with significant landowner or other cost share contributions.

3. History and Cultural Heritage Based on discoveries of stone tools and weapons, archaeologists estimate humans arrived in Nebraska about 10,000 to 25,000 years ago. Before European settlers colonized the Great Plains, Native Americans had inhabited the region for thousands of years. The Missouri, Omaha, Oto and tribes farmed and hunted along Nebraska rivers. About 700 to 800 years ago, the Pawnee tribe established settlements along the Platte and Loup rivers where they farmed corn (Zea mays), squash (Cucurbita maxima), beans and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and gathered wild turnips (Sinapis arvensis), grapes (Vitis spp.), plums (Prunus americana) and nuts (NFS, 2015).

The Pawnee also hunted buffalo (Bison bison), elk (Cervus canadensis), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), deer (Odocoileus spp.), rabbits, waterfowl and other game birds. Wandering tribes, such as the and , lived in western and central Nebraska. By the late 1800s, Native American tribes were decimated by introduced diseases and conflicts with settlers and the United States government. Tribes were relocated to reservations, and three currently exist in Nebraska: the Santee Sioux, Omaha, and Winnebago (all in the northeastern part of the state).

According to pollen records, much of Nebraska was covered by boreal white spruce (Picea glauca) during the Pleistocene period, about 10,000 years ago (Wright, 1970). Even today in the Sandhills, pieces of ancient wood are sometimes found buried deep under the sand. Remnant stands of paper birch (Betula papyifera) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) remain today across portions of northern Nebraska.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, France and Spain argued over which country had claim to the land in central North America known as “Louisiana.” In 1803, France sold the Louisiana Territory, which included present-day Nebraska, to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were among the first Americans of European descent to visit Nebraska. From 1804 to 1806, their expedition traveled up the Missouri River and into the state’s eastern edge. The name “Nebraska” was taken from the Oto word “nebrathka” meaning “flat water.” The word “Nebraska” first appears in publications in 1842 when the “Nebraska river” is mentioned as the Oto name for the Platte River. Beginning in the mid-19th century, steamboats traveling the Missouri River brought people and much-needed supplies to Nebraska and territories beyond. These

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vessels played a vital role in the settlement and development of the western United States. They also used massive amounts of wood harvested from extensive riparian and adjacent bluff land forests that grew along the Missouri and navigable tributaries.

From 1847 through 1869, more than 400,000 people traveled across Nebraska on the Oregon and Mormon trails. These trails followed rivers and streams—largely because of the flat topography; however, they also provided travelers with access to wood from riparian forests for fuel, building materials and to repair wagons. Drawn by the promise of free land under the 1862 Homestead Act, many settlers traveled from the East Coast to claim a new life on the Plains. These early homesteaders fought drought, insects and countless other hardships to claim their 160 acres. Together, they sought to transform what was once described as a “Great Desert” into a prosperous state. Numerous “timber claims,” many of which still exist, were planted by these early settlers to secure their legal rights to their homesteaded lands. Settlers often planted trees grown from locally gathered seeds or seedlings to protect their homes and crops from the ever-present winds.

Nebraska gained statehood on March 1, 1867, and the capitol was moved from Omaha to the city now known as Lincoln. In the 1930s, both widespread drought and the Great Depression brought hardship to the state and began an out-migration from rural areas that continues to this day. The great drought of the 1930s stimulated the creation of national programs to plant windbreaks across the Plains to slow the wind and reduce soil erosion. Thousands of miles of windbreaks were planted during this period. Today, over 30,000 miles of windbreaks are known to exist in the state.

Additional evidence suggests that after the glacial period passed, the forests of the Rocky Mountains stretched across Nebraska and may have connected with forests in the eastern United States (Bessey & Webber, 1889). Indeed, isolated stands of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) can be found in deep canyons in Custer, Loup and Garfield counties in west central Nebraska, even though these locations are more than 100 miles from the closest seed source (Schmidt & Wardle, 1986). Nebraska’s history is steeped in trees and forests. Trees provided Native Americans with food, fuel and shelter, as well as protection for their animals. Early settlers often transported tree seedlings hundreds of miles to plant on treeless homesteads. They realized the value of trees on the harsh Plains for protection, wood products, conservation and beauty. They took great pains to plant and nurture the fragile seedlings.

Nebraska’s first recorded tree planting was by squatter G.B. Lore in 1853. Legal efforts soon followed to encourage the planting of trees. The establishment of Arbor Day in 1872 was a reflection of both the official and popular fervor for tree planting in the state. Julius Sterling Morton, editor of the Nebraska City News and president of the state board of agriculture, introduced a resolution in 1872 establishing a tree planting day across the state to be known as Arbor Day. In 1885, the Nebraska Unicameral made Arbor Day a state holiday and set Morton’s birthday (April 22) as the official date. The idea was so popular that more than 1 million trees were planted throughout the state on the first Arbor Day. Today Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 33 countries. Plantings increased under the Timber Culture Act of 1873, which offered free land to settlers if they planted trees as a part of their homestead (Schmidt & Wardle, 1986). Remnants of these homestead plantings can still be observed throughout Nebraska.

In 1902, the Charles E. Bessey Nursery was established in north central Nebraska. As part of the Dismal River Forest Reserve to provide tree seedlings for the “World’s Largest Man-Made Forest”: the Bessey Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) near Halsey. Named for Charles E. Bessey, a horticulture professor at the University of Nebraska whose vision of a forest growing in the Nebraska Sandhills prompted its creation, the nursery is the oldest tree nursery within

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the USFS. Since 1926, the nursery has produced hundreds of millions of seedlings for conservation plantings in Nebraska, , Colorado and South Dakota. The nursery and this unique hand planted forest are managed by the USFS today. Organized tree distribution began in Nebraska as far back as 1904, when Congressman Moses P. Kincaid introduced a bill (Kincaid Act) that authorized free distribution of trees west of the 100th meridian. The plan included the western half of Nebraska, generally west of present-day Cozad. Records show that almost 2 million trees were distributed from Bessey Nursery between 1912 and 1924.

The Clarke-McNary Act in 1924 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate with states to procure, produce and distribute tree seeds and plants for the establishment of windbreaks, shelterbelts and farm woodlots. In 1926, when the first plantings were completed in Nebraska, 33,900 trees were distributed to 96 cooperators in 44 counties. In total, more than 100 million Clarke-McNary tree and shrub seedlings were planted for conservation purposes in Nebraska.

Nebraska’s state tree is the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides). This historically significant species served as a reference point for both Native Americans and settlers traveling to and through the area. Cottonwood is the primary tree species harvested in the state for commercial use (Meneguzzo, et al. 2008).

In 1895, the Nebraska legislature declared Nebraska the “Tree Planter’s State” as Arbor Day originated here. In 1945 the state legislature changed the official state name to the “Cornhusker State,” after the nickname for the University of Nebraska’s athletic teams. Today, Nebraska has over 1.55 million acres of forestlands: 2 national forests, 54 state parks, and 106 Tree City USA communities.

Cultural Resource Protection During the Paleo-Indian Period (9,000 to 12,000 years ago), Nebraska was inhabited by people who migrated from Asia. There are few known remnants beyond the Hudson-Meng site north of Crawford, Nebraska. This site is protected (Nebraska State Historical Society, 2016).

The Archic Period (2,000 to 9,000 years ago) was a transition period for people that inhabited Nebraska. This period represented a period of climate change and transition, establishing many of the plant and animal species present in modern-day Nebraska. No sites representative of this period are known to exist in Nebraska.

Plains (1,000 to 2,000 years ago) represents a period of new technology for the native peoples of the area. The introduction of pottery and weapons such as the bow and arrow were major technological advances. Several sites in Nebraska are well documented and protected.

Central Plains Period (500 to 1,000 years ago) saw the introduction of farming practices, bringing the first yearlong inhabitants. There are numerous examples of earth lodges and other historic sites in the state.

Large Village/Nomadic Period (500 years ago to 1800) was a period where large villages and some nomadic hunters thrived in modern-day Nebraska. Sites from each of these community types exist today.

Euro-American Pre-territorial Period (1804-1854), Nebraska became a US territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Almost all of the trading posts, transportation and military-related sites were established as tourist sites today.

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The Nebraska State Historical Society (2016) maintains an inventory of 76,000 properties and historic sites in Nebraska that encompass this period.

4. Fish and Wildlife Nebraska has over 60 amphibian and reptile species: 80 fish, 400 birds, 85 mammals and 1470 plants (Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2016). Twenty-seven species are listed as Threatened and Endangered (T&E).Seven plants, five birds, seven fish, two insects, four mammals, one mussel, and one reptile make up this list.

Table 1: Nebraska Threatened & Endangered Species

State Federal Potential Forest Common Name Scientific Name Status Status Legacy Area (FLA) Birds Eskimo Curlew* Numenius borealis Endangered Endangered NPR NPR, NV, RR, ER, Whooping Crane Grus americana Endangered Endangered LR Sternula antillarum Interior Least Tern athalassos Endangered Endangered MR, NPR, ER, LR

Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Threatened Threatened MR, NPR, ER, LR

Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus Threatened not listed WH Mammals Black-footed Ferret* Mustela nigripes Endangered Endangered statewide

Swift Fox Vulpes velox Endangered not listed PR, WH, NPR, RR River Otter Lontra canadensis Threatened not listed Statewide Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans Threatened not listed MR

Northern Long - statewide except eared bat Myotis septentrionalis Threatened Threatened WH Fish

Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus Endangered Endangered MR, NPR, NR, EH Topeka Shiner Notropis topeka Endangered Endangered ER, NR, LR

Sturgeon Chub Macrhybopsis gelida Endangered not listed MR, NPR, NR, EH

Blacknose Shiner Notropis heterolepis Endangered not listed ER, NR, LR

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Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Threatened not listed MR, NPR, NR, EH Northern Redbelly Dace Phoxinus eos Threatened not listed NR, PR, NPR, LR

Finescale Dace Phoxinus neogaeus Threatened not listed NR, LR, PR, NPR Insect American Burying Nicrophorus Beetle americanus Endangered Endangered RR, NPR, LP, ER Salt Creek Tiger Cicindela nevadica Beetle lincolniana Endangered Endangered UL Reptile

Massasauga Sistrurus catenatus Threatened not listed MR, UL, NPR Mussel Scaleshell Mussel Leptodea leptodon Endangered Endangered NR, MR, LR, ER Plants Hayden’s (Blowout) PR, NR, WH, LR, Penstemon Penstemon haydenii Endangered Endangered NPR Colorado Butterfly Gaura neomexicana Plant coloradensis Endangered Threatened PR, WH Saltwort Salicornia rubra Endangered not listed UL Western Prairie NR, LR, ER, MR, Fringed Orchid Platanthera praeclara Threatened Threatened NPR, UL, UO

Ute Ladies’-tresses Spiranthes diluvialis Threatened Threatened PR, WH

American Ginseng Panax quinquefolium Threatened not listed MR, UO, UL

Small White Lady’s NR, LR, ER, MR, Slipper Cypripedium candidum Threatened not listed NPR, UL, UO Forest Legacy Areas: Platte River (NPR), Niobrara Valley (NR), Missouri River MR), Elkhorn (ER), Republican (RR), Pine Ridge (PR), Wildcat Hills(WH), Loup River (LR), Urban Lincoln (UL), Urban Omaha (UO) * Species of historical occurrence in Nebraska but no known populations currently exist in Nebraska

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project utilized a comprehensive approach to identify rare species and the associated habitat for developing a guide to conservation. During this process, an understanding of critical species and habitat was gained which led the group to identify action necessary to protect these Biologically Unique Landscapes in Nebraska (Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2005). Much of this critical habitat is captured in the Forest Legacy Areas (FLA) as identified in this Assessment of Need.

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Each FLA has at least one species identified as threatened or endangered. Two T&E species are only found within the Urban Lincoln FLA. These include Saltwort and the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, which is only known to exist in this small region of Nebraska. Two other species are only present in one FLA in Nebraska. These include the southern flying squirrel, which is found in the southern region of the Missouri River FLA, and the Mountain Plover, which is found only in the Wildcat Hills FLA in Nebraska.

Two species were known to occur in Nebraska; however, they have not been seen for many years. Habitat exists in the Platte River FLA for the Eskimo Curlew and there is habitat for the black-footed ferret, but no know populations are present at this time. The black-footed ferret’s historic range was statewide.

5. Recreation Tourism and outdoor recreation in Nebraska are strongly associated with the state’s forest resources. Across the state, trees create a mosaic that is visually attractive and offers many opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Some popular game species, such as wood duck (Aix sponsa), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wild turkeys, are forest-dependent. Additionally, many of the lakes and rivers that provide fishing and boating opportunities depend on forests for water quality. In these areas, trees regulate water temperature and provide both habitat and food to wildlife and aquatic species. In 2006, fishing-related expenditures in Nebraska totaled $181 million, and hunting related expenditures totaled $231 million (U.S. Department of Interior, et al. 2006). Wildlife watching, particularly birdwatching, is also popular in Nebraska. In 2006 wildlife watchers in Nebraska spent $142 million on related activities (U.S. Department of Interior, et al. 2006).

Multiple scenic byways stretch through portions of forested land. Nebraska’s Highway 2 is considered one of the most scenic roads in the country. From Grand Island to the byway’s western edge of Alliance, Highway 2 winds through remote and beautiful countryside. The area extending west from Grand Island to Kearney is also excellent for birdwatching, particularly Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) during its annual spring migration.

The Missouri River offers travelers a number of scenic drives, as well as abundant recreational opportunities, ranging from fishing to boating to hiking to birdwatching. Along the river, , and Schramm State Park provide habitat for many species of migrating woodland birds, such as warblers, thrushes and tanagers (Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2005), and are popular spots for birdwatching.

6. Geologic Features The state falls into two major land regions, which include the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains is found in the far eastern part of the state. This area is comprised of nearly flat to rolling hills dissected by many creeks, streams and rivers. The Great Plains makes up the western three quarters of Nebraska and includes the Sandhill Region, Pine Ridge, Wildcat Hills, High Plains and the .

7. Aesthetic and Scenic Resources Natural resources like trees are an important asset to the citizens of Nebraska. However, the ecosystem and aesthetic services provided are enjoyed by residents, tourists, and neighboring states alike. Studies indicate the highest rate of use of aesthetic services is in the northwestern part of the state in the Pine Ridge, Wildcats, and Niobrara FLAs. Further, Biologically Unique Landscapes (BUL)

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and major riparian areas receive high rankings for aesthetic value (Figueroa-Alfaro & Tang, 2015). Many of these highly prized areas correspond to FLAs identified in this assessment.

Further supporting the importance of these resources are their use by tourists. Tourism is the third largest industry in the state, creating more than 41,000 jobs. Travelers spent nearly $3.6 billion in the state in 2007 (Nebraska Department of Economic Development, 2016) with overnight travelers travelling a 100 miles or more.

Some of the nationally recognized sites visited for their natural resource value in 2007 were (NE DED 2016): • Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (13,000 visitors to the Pine Ridge FLA), • Arbor Day Farm (100,000 visitors within the Missouri River FLA), • State Historical Park (18,500 visitors to the Elkhorn FLA), • Ranch State Historical Park (56,417 visitors along the Platte River FLA), • Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (1,150,600 visitors to the Platte River FLA), • State Park (460,154 visitors to the Pine Ridge FLA), • Harlan County Lake (514,925 visitors to the Republican River FLA), • Indian Cave State Park (154,600 visitors to the Missouri River FLA), • Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area (811,600 visitors to the Platte River FLA), • (625,003 visitors to the Platte River FLA), • (749,250 visitors to the Missouri River FLA), • Scottsbluff National Monument (111,891 visitors to the Wildcats FLA).

Tourism in Nebraska is dependent on the natural resources and natural areas of the state. The ecosystem and aesthetic services are an economic driver as indicated by the nearly 5 million visitors to these 12 forest areas.

8. Mineral Resources Mineral resources are somewhat limited in Nebraska. The state ranks 40th in total non-fuel mineral production. Clay, lime, stone and gravel are the most common non-fuel minerals utilized in the state. Sand/gravel and crushed stone comprise over 90 percent of the non-fuel mineral production in Nebraska. The greatest risk to riparian FLAs are from the extraction of sand and gravel.

USGS data indicates Nebraska generates nonfuel mineral production of $238 million annually. This consist of sand and gravel, crushed stone, Portland cement and lime (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016). Much of this is extracted from or near the Riparian/River FLA areas. Total direct employment in 2004 from direct non-fuel mineral production in Nebraska was 1,259 jobs and indirect was 4,500 jobs. This activity generates about $620 million in direct and indirect economic value to the state. Sand and gravel comprise 66 percent of the non-fuel mineral use in the state (U.S. Geological Survey, 2015).

Gas and oil production was 237,852 barrels of oil and 34,031 MCF of gas in December 2014. There are a total of 20,396 wells on file (Drilling Edge, 2016). Approximately one-third of the production comes from portions of the Wildcat Hills, Pine Ridge and Niobrara FLAs. Nebraska produces 16.3 trillion barrels of crude oil and 1.1 trillion Btu of natural gas annually (Energy Information Administration, 2016). This compares to 247.7 trillion Btu of biofuel energy production and 33.7 trillion Btu of renewable energy production.

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9. Forest Characteristics Setting General landform and topographic information are described in this section of the AON. These characteristics will influence the direction of the FLP in Nebraska. Nebraska land area covers 76,878 square miles. The elevation ranges from 840 feet to 5424 feet above mean sea level. The lowest point is along the Missouri River in Richardson County in the southeast part of the state and the highest point in Kimball County in the southwest part of the panhandle.

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Figure 3: Trends in Volume by Species (million cubic feet)

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Figure 4: Actively and Managed Forest Areas

The eastern portion of Nebraska consists of rolling hills to nearly flat topography. This portion of the state consists of till plains dissecting many rivers and streams. The eastern one-fifth of the state is heavily used for agricultural production. The central portion of the state is rolling hills primarily part of the Great Plains. These loess covered hills extend to the west into Wyoming and north to South Dakota. This portion of the state is used for agricultural production and cattle grazing. The Sandhills occupy 20,000 square miles in the central part of the state. The sand formed hills are primarily grasslands; however, eastern redcedar is becoming more predominate in some areas. This portion of the state is primarily used for cattle grazing. The High Plains are found in the northwestern portion of the state. Portions of this area are used for agricultural productions; however, most areas are used for cattle grazing. This area, receiving just over 12 inches of precipitation yearly, is located near the Wyoming and South Dakota borders. The elevation of these high plains is over one mile above sea level.

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The forest types in Nebraska are mixed: ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is predominate in the Pine Ridge, mixed hardwoods and riparian forests are in the Wildcat Hills and Niobrara Valley, and one pocket of limber pine (Pinus flexilis) is located in the southwest portion of the Panhandle.

Ownership Eighty-nine percent of Nebraska’s forests are privately held, with the remaining 11 percent held and managed by state, federal or local government agencies. This ownership pattern creates a unique and important need for programs like the FLP. Protecting forest from development and fragmentation is a high priority for the state. Figure 5: Forest Ownership by Group Coniferous Forest Nebraska’s coniferous forests are largely composed of three species: ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum).

Figure 6: Pine Forest in the Pine Ridge

Ponderosa pine is found in the Pine Ridge, eastward along the Niobrara and Snake rivers, and in other scattered pockets in western Nebraska, such as the Wildcat Hills south of Scottsbluff. North America’s easternmost extensions of ponderosa pine occur in Nebraska, with potentially unique genetic adaptations of value in a world with a changing climate. Rocky Mountain juniper (in the west) and eastern redcedar (central) are common components of ponderosa pine forests.

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Figure 7: Eastern Redcedar Forest

Eastern redcedar is abundant in Nebraska. It is the predominant species in some forested areas and is frequently an understory tree in conifer and mixed hardwood forests. Between 1983 and 1994, the area of timberland with eastern redcedar as a dominant species increased by 61 percent (Schmidt & Wardle, 1998). Today it is estimated there are more than 350,000 acres dominated by eastern redcedar. Transitional Mixed Forest There are more than 225,000 acres of timberland in the transitional forest area, including 83,000 acres of ponderosa pine forest, 46,000 acres of eastern redcedar, and 96,000 acres of mixed forests (Homer, et al., 2004). This functions as a transitional zone unlike any other forested area in Nebraska.

The easternmost portion includes the Niobrara River, and a two-mile buffer on each side of the river from central Brown County eastward to its confluence with the Missouri River in Knox County. The river in this reach has a broad, braided, somewhat shallow channel with many open sandbars and wooded islands. This reach of the Niobrara River has fairly natural flows. The only obstruction on the river is the low Spencer Dam in Boyd County. Much of the valley bottom is in cropland, though some areas support cottonwood or bur oak woodlands. Some wet meadows and marshes still remain in the floodplain. The bluff slopes are mainly mixed-grass prairie with oak woodlands in the east and ponderosa pine woodlands in the west, with increasing populations of eastern redcedar throughout the area.

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Figure 8: Nebraska's Niobrara River Mixed Hardwood/Ponderosa Pine Transitional Forest

The middle Niobrara River valley is a 76-mile reach of the river in Cherry, Keya Paha, Rock and Brown counties. This river reach has been designated as a National Wild and Scenic River and is often referred to as the biological crossroads of the Midwest.

The western portion of the Niobrara River includes the river channel and a two-mile-wide buffer on each side of the river, from eastern Cherry County westward to the Nebraska/ Wyoming border. In the far west, the Niobrara River is a narrow, cold-water stream within an open, gently sloping valley with few trees. Rocky outcrops are also common along the valley bluffs, and mixed- grass prairie occurs on most of the bluffs. As the river gains flow eastward, the valley becomes entrenched. Where the river enters the Sandhills in western Cherry County the valley is several hundred feet deep. Ponderosa pine woodlands occupy portions of the bluff, and cottonwood dominated-woodlands occupy portions of the floodplain. Portions of the valley bottom are in cropland.

Riparian Forests Riparian forests serve as an interface between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and often are more diverse in stand structure and species than other forested areas. These forests are a vital resource because they provide critical habitat and travel corridors for wildlife; protect water by filtering sediment and agricultural runoff; moderate water temperatures; stabilize streambanks; slow flooding; and contribute to recreational opportunities.

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Riparian zones are the areas adjacent to lakes, rivers and streams. In these areas, a steady water supply creates a moister, more productive habitat than that of nearby upland areas. Some of Nebraska’s most productive forested sites are found in riparian zones. Combined with the fact that Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state, as well as the ecosystem and economic services they provide, riparian forests are vital to the state.

In this assessment, riparian forests also include forested bluffs adjacent to rivers. Several historical accounts demonstrate the breadth of riparian forests across the Plains. In 1835, Henry Dodge wrote “that the Platte River near present-day Grand Island had abundant trees on the south bank”, and that, from a hill near the confluence of the North and South Platte rivers near present-day North Platte, he could see hills downstream that were “covered with scattered groves” and the “feathery outline of some tall trees . . . above the horizon.”

Composed primarily of ash (Fraxinus spp.), cottonwood, elm (Ulmuss spp.), red mulberry (Morus rubra), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), boxelder (Acer negundo), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), willow (Salix spp.), black walnut (Juglans nigra) and, increasingly, eastern redcedar, there are more than 824,000 acres of riparian forests in Nebraska (Homer, et al., 2004), making them a critical (and the largest) component of Nebraska’s forest resources. In fact, nearly two- thirds of Nebraska’s forestland is adjacent to streams and rivers.

Figure 9: Riparian Forest Ecosystem

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There are an additional 171,000 acres of narrow non-forest treed areas along riparian areas. These narrow but critically important water buffer resources separate the riparian/water resources from direct agriculture activities and are the first line of defense against sediment and contaminants entering the water. Nebraska has more than 50 percent of the total of these non-forest, treed riparian acres across the four-state region of Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota (Nebraska Forest Service, 2010).

10. Forest Health Threats While Nebraska’s forests are extensive and growing in overall area, they face a wide range of serious threats. These threats range everywhere from uncharacteristic wildland fires to an increasingly urbanized state.

Current & Emerging Insect & Disease Threats Mountain Pine Beetle The current outbreak of mountain pine beetle in North America is one of the largest in recorded history. This native bark beetle is estimated to have killed more than 40 million acres of forests in the United States and Canadian Rocky Mountains. Areas that have not historically had a problem with the insect are being affected.

Nebraska’s first documented cases of mountain pine beetle occurred in June 2009 in the Wildcat Hills and the Pine Ridge. These areas have significant value for recreation and wildlife habitat. Discovering the insect at this early stage provided an unusual opportunity to mitigate the impacts of this pest and protect these forests.

With more than 250,000 acres of ponderosa pine forest in the state, mountain pine beetle poses a substantial threat to Nebraska’s forest resources.

Emerald Ash Borer Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) has killed tens of millions of ash trees in over 25 states and two Canadian Provenances. Native to Asia, the highly invasive beetle is believed to have arrived in the United States in the 1990s on infested wooden packing materials from China. It was first discovered in 2002 near Detroit. Emerald ash borer (EAB) larvae tunnel under the bark of trees, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients and causing canopy dieback and eventual tree death. On its own, EAB can spread one to two miles per year, but can travel much longer distances through the transport of infested firewood, nursery stock and ash wood products. EAB is present in Nebraska in the eastern portion of the state. Nebraska’s estimated native ash trees in communities and woodlands (44 million trees) are at great risk as agencies begin to respond to the 2016 discovery of the insect.

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Figure 10: Ash Distribution in Nebraska

Thousand Cankers Disease of Black Walnut Thousand cankers is a fungal disease of black walnut that is spread by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis). Thousand cankers disease is widespread in the western U.S. in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Washington and California, and is known to be present in the eastern U.S. in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The walnut twig beetle is native to North America and was first discovered in 1928 on trees in southern New Mexico. However, black walnut trees across the western United States have been declining for decades due to a fungus (Geosmithia spp.) carried by the walnut twig beetle which is presumed to also be native.

The disease is thought to have co-evolved with Arizona walnut, on which it causes little damage. However, eastern black walnuts in urban forests are highly susceptible to this disease. Thousand cankers is largely spread through the transport of firewood. In this manner, it was spread to Colorado’s Front Range communities and has nearly wiped out black walnut trees in Boulder and Colorado Springs. It has not been identified in Nebraska but poses an enormous threat to all black walnut trees in the state.

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Black walnut is widely planted across Nebraska for both nut and timber production. It also occurs in native riparian forests throughout the eastern portion of the state. There are more than 1.5 million walnut trees in Nebraska forests.

Sudden Oak Death First reported in 1995 along California’s central coast, sudden oak death is caused by the fungus Phytophthora ramorum that causes a bleeding canker on the stem, resulting in death. To date, the disease has killed tens of thousands of oaks (Quercus spp.) in California. While originally identified in oak trees, the fungus also attacks hackberry, bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) and California buckeye (Aesculus californica). In these species the fungus causes leaf spots and twig dieback. While the disease poses a risk to Nebraska’s oaks, it has not been found in the state, and its potential impact on oak resources is unknown.Bugwood.org

Asian Longhorned Beetle Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) was discovered in 1996 in Brooklyn. The insect is native to Asia and is believed to have arrived in the United States on wooden pallets and other wood-packing materials. In 1998, another infestation was identified in the Chicago suburbs. Its most recent discovery was in Worcester, MA, in 2008. It presumably is spread by the transport of infested firewood.

The insect attacks multiple species of hardwoods, including birch (Betula spp.), Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra), elm, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and willow. Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) also attacks, and is thought to prefer, species in the maple (Acer spp.) family including boxelder, Norway maple (Acer platanoides), red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). ALB larvae tunnel under the bark of trees, causing canopy dieback and eventually tree death. ALB poses a grave threat to Nebraska’s hardwood tree resources should it be introduced.

Other Forest Health Concerns Diplodia blight of pines (caused by the fungus Diplodia pinea) and Zimmerman pine moth and related species (Dioryctria zimmermani, D. ponderosae and D. tumicolella) are pests that have been in Nebraska for many years and continue to kill and deform trees in native and planted pine stands.

Diplodia blight kills and damages stressed pine trees and has killed thousands of native ponderosa pines in the Pine Ridge and Niobrara River valley. Zimmerman pine moth and related species tunnel in the trunk and branches of pines. The tunneling girdles trees or causes them to break apart during times of strong wind or heavy snow. Ponderosa pine is very susceptible to the insect. These insects have killed tens of thousands of trees and have destroyed many windbreaks and other pine plantings, especially in the central portion of the state.

Future Conditions & Trends The introduction of EAB and potential introduction of thousand cankers disease, plus expanded damage by mountain pine beetle and pine wilt, will have devastating impacts on Nebraska’s trees and forests. Stress due to changing climatic conditions likely will aggravate the damage.

11. INVASIVE & AGGRESSIVE NATIVE PLANT SPECIES Current Conditions The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center defines invasive species as species that are non-native to an ecosystem, or species whose introduction to an

29 | Page ecosystem causes or is likely to cause harm to the ecosystem’s economy or environment or to human health (National Invasive Species Information Center, 2009). Invasive species can be plants, animals or other organisms, such as microbes. About 400 of the almost 1,000 threatened or endangered species classified under the Endangered Species Act are considered at-risk primarily due to competition with or predation by non-native species (Pimentel, Zuniga & Morison, 2005). In the United States, damages and losses due to invasive species total almost $120 billion each year (Pimentel, et al., 2005).

In Nebraska, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima and T. parviflora) and phragmites (Phragmites australis) threaten the integrity of riparian ecosystems across the state. These species spread aggressively throughout river systems, outcompeting more desirable native species by blocking and slowing water flow and using large quantities of scarce water.

Russian olive is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. The tree was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental but quickly escaped and established itself throughout most of the country. In upland areas of western Nebraska, Russian olive is a valuable conservation tree because of its drought and pest tolerance, ability to thrive in a variety of growing conditions, and value to wildlife. The tree spreads aggressively, particularly in bottomland areas where moisture is abundant. Without management, Russian olive will spread vigorously and outcompete neighboring species. In many riparian areas, especially in western and central Nebraska, Russian olive is threatening native riparian cottonwood ecosystems.

Other non-native invasives are becoming serious threats to the ecological stability of central hardwood forests in eastern Nebraska, including honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.). Native to Asia, honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub that was introduced into the United States in 1846. It escaped cultivation due to high seed production with the seeds eaten and dispersed by birds and other animals. It forms dense understory thickets in forests, shading out other shrubs and tree seedlings and disrupting tree reproduction and forest succession. Common buckthorn is a shrub or small tree that invades open oak woods, deadfall openings in woodlands, woodland edges, roadsides, prairies and open fields. It forms dense thickets, crowding and shading out native shrubs and herbs, often completely eradicating them.

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is also becoming a serious invasive pest in eastern hardwood forests. It typically is found in locations of partial sunlight, such as a forest edge, and can survive well under an oak canopy where it shades out other understory species. Recent research studies indicate Japanese barberry changes the soil chemistry in the environment it inhabits.

There is also aggressive, native species that exist in an ecosystem but can outcompete more valuable species under favorable conditions. For example, eastern redcedar is valued in conservation plantings because of its hardiness and rapid growth rate. However, this native is a prolific multiplier and, if left unmanaged, can quickly take over pastureland, forestland and riparian areas. Improved fire prevention and suppression efforts, and changes in agricultural practices have allowed eastern redcedar to expand in both total area and number of trees.

Prescribed fire is an efficient method of controlling smaller eastern redcedar trees, but the number of acres that can be burned each year is limited due to weather, the availability of trained professionals, and the terrain of the area to be burned. Dense stands of large eastern redcedar cannot be burned without the risk of creating an intense wildland fire. Methods such as mechanical removal and chemical control can also be effective. While trees are small, winter grazing by goats may effectively control eastern redcedar infestations as well. Expanding biomass markets may provide an economic incentive to better manage eastern redcedar.

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Future Conditions & Trends It is anticipated the invasive and aggressive plant species’ range will continue to expand in Nebraska’s forests, negatively affecting these ecosystems. This issue will be exacerbated by the expected changes in climate as outlined in “Understanding and Assessing Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska” published in September of 2014 (Bathke, et al., 2014). Service, Northeast Region, Bugwood.org

12. Soil Productivity

The state has highly fertile and productive soils derived from alluvial, colluvial or glacial deposits. Sandhills soils, occupying much of north central Nebraska, are derived from wind-blown sand. Elsewhere, the soils have formed from windblown silt and clay or loess (extremely fine loam deposited by the wind).

Loam, a highly productive soil, is the most common top soil found in Nebraska. However, loam, clay, silt and sand are found throughout regions of the state. Western Nebraska and portions of central Nebraska are predominantly sand. Areas of the eastern part of the state have a high percentage and frequency of clay soils (Nebraska Department of Agriculture, 2016). Soil productivity in Nebraska is generally high due to the relative young nature of these soils. Nebraska soils are not heavily weathered by climate, which allow for high production without additional inputs (Ferguson, 2016). Many of the productive soils are located in the riparian areas and associated flood plains. For a detailed description of soil productivity for Nebraska, please see Appendix C.

13. Water Resources

Nebraska has a significant supply of groundwater. The Ogallala Aquifer—which stretches across portions of eight states— primarily lies in Nebraska. The Aquifer can be found under nearly two-thirds of the state, which has allowed for the development of ranching and farming operations in many areas (Nebraska Department of Agriculture, 2016). Nebraska aquifers store nearly 2 billion acre-feet of groundwater, most of which is easily accessible. Use of underground water is regulated through 23 Natural Resources Districts throughout the state. In the early 1990s, there were 6.3 million acres of irrigated land in Nebraska. By 2007, that number had increased to about 8.5 million acres. Although Nebraska receives an average of 90 million acre-feet of precipitation annually, groundwater irrigation plays an important role in agriculture. More than 106,000 registered irrigation wells existed in the state at the beginning of 2010 (Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, 2010). Nebraska has more center pivot irrigation systems than any other state.

Cumulatively speaking, Nebraska rivers exceed all other states in terms of overall length. Because of this, forests and water inexorably connected. Riparian forests are the largest forest type in the state and provide enormous ecosystem services. All of Nebraska’s rivers and streams drain into the Missouri River along the eastern border of the state. The Platte River is formed by the North and South Platte Rivers, which originate in the Rockies and flow east through central Nebraska. The Sandhills area is drained by the Niobrara, Elkhorn and Loup rivers. The Republican and Big Blue rivers drain the southern part of the state. About 8 million acre-feet of surface water flows annually from Nebraska into other states. No large natural bodies of water exist in Nebraska, although hundreds of small natural lakes are found throughout the state.

Many projects have been developed to minimize flooding, particularly in southeastern Nebraska. Upstream dams in Montana and the Dakotas have reduced flooding along the Missouri River.

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Five reservoirs control flooding on the Republican River in Nebraska, dams control flooding along the Platte River (Nebraska Department of Agriculture, 2016).

Some rivers are vulnerable to chronic drought, invasive species and overuse for irrigation and other purposes. Decreasing water tables in riparian areas have resulted in riparian forest decline and mortality. Continued perceptions that trees are significant competitors for water can lead to extensive tree removals and clearing of forests.

Figure 11: Areas Identified for Enhanced Water Quality

Water Quality Over 17,000 miles of perennial streams and rivers are monitored for water quality (Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, 2016). In addition, NDEQ monitors 134,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs. Nebraskans depend on these important resources for irrigation and drinking water, wildlife and fish habitat, recreation and industrial uses including energy production. Regular stream monitoring is completed by NDEQ to ensure water quality remains within state and federal guidelines.

Riparian forests are a critical component for maintaining water quality in the state. A functioning, healthy riparian forest provides many environmental services which includes: • filter sediment and nutrients; • moderate water temperatures; • stabilize streambanks; • slow flooding; and • contribute to recreational opportunities.

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In Nebraska, Natural Resource Districts (Bleed & Babbit, 2015) monitor water quantity using a watershed approach for utilization and conservation of ground and surface water.

14. Weather & Climate Climate With its weather extremes, Nebraska has always been a difficult place to grow trees. The state is characterized by hot summers and cold winters, late spring and early fall freezes, fluctuating rainfall and growing seasons, frequent severe winds, and early snows and ice storms. Average precipitation between 1990 and 2014 ranged from 18 inches in the west to 32 inches in the southeast, but this can vary markedly from year to year. Snowfall throughout the state ranges from 20 to 40 inches yearly.

Parts of Nebraska experienced severe D2 drought or greater on the National Drought Mitigation Center’s scale in 13 of the past 14 years (‘02-‘04 & ‘05-‘14), resulting in significant agricultural losses and stress on the state’s tree and forest resources (NFS, 2015).

The Panhandle and Sandhills were hit especially hard, with parts of the southwest also suffering. Nebraska receives three-fourths of its rainfall during April through September. However, precipitation varies widely from month-to-month for all Nebraska locations. The growing season in Nebraska ranges from 120 days in the extreme northwest to 170 days in the southeast.

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Figure 12: Monthly Precipitation for Falls City and Scottsbluff

Torrential downpours, severe straight-line winds, tornadoes, and hail are common. Tornadoes occur annually but vary in number and intensity. Hailstorms can also be severe, particularly in western Nebraska, which reportedly has the highest hail frequency in the country. During dry years, dust storms occasionally develop in the Panhandle and in the southwestern part of the state.

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Figure 13: Pilger Nebraska Tornados - 2014

Nebraska’s forests are unique in that they generally exist on the eastern, western or southern edges of their native ranges, and grow under stressful conditions more conducive to prairie ecosystems than to forests. These tree and forest resources provide critically important economic and ecosystem services. Changes in Nebraska’s climate will have, and arguably are having—as projected in the 2014 report “Climate Change Impacts in the United States”— substantial and negative impacts on the state’s tree and forest resources. Increased incidence and severity of drought and severe weather events, and higher day and night temperatures will seriously affect the health, vitality and resilience of individual trees and forest ecosystems. These outcomes all place higher urgency for the NFS to prioritize these areas for the FLP

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Figure 14: Precipitation Pattern for Nebraska (nationalatlas.gov)

Wildfire- Current Conditions For centuries, wildfires have burned across the forest landscape. These low-intensity fires were frequent enough that they reduced forest fuel loads by burning grass, small trees and debris that accumulated on the forest floor. Because they remained mostly surface fires and did not spread into the forest canopy, these fires were less destructive than those seen in Nebraska during the past few decades.

With today’s growing and dispersing population, wildland fires cannot be allowed to burn as they once did. For the past 80 or more years, most wildland fires have been suppressed resulting in fuel loads increasing dramatically to unnatural levels. With increased fire suppression, pine needles, pinecones and branches have accumulated on the forest floor. Brush and small diameter trees have become established in the forest understory, creating “ladder fuels” that serve as pathways for ground fires to become highly destructive crown fires. When fires reach the forest canopy, they behave erratically and can quickly spread and change direction.

Because of this erratic behavior, high-intensity crown fires are harder to suppress, making firefighters’ jobs far more difficult and dangerous. As the crowns of trees are consumed by fire, a tremendous amount of energy is released. This heat energy creates powerful columns of rising air

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capable of carrying firebrands, such as burning pinecones or small branches. These firebrands cause spot fires in front of the advancing fire and rain down on structures in the fire’s path, putting property and lives at risk.

In addition to the accumulation of forest fuels, a growing wildfire risk factor is the increasing size of the wildland urban interface (WUI) in Nebraska. With more people moving into rural, often forested areas, fire suppression has become much more difficult and dangerous. Firefighters must be concerned with evacuations and trying to prevent structures from catching fire in addition to fighting the fire. Many housing developments in forested areas have only one access point and little water available for fire suppression.

Zoning restrictions are also an issue. Because fewer of these exist, the result is that an increasing number of homes, other structures, and residents are highly vulnerable when uncharacteristic wildland fires occur. These interface settings are common in the Pine Ridge, Niobrara Valley and Wildcat Hills. They are also found in the Loess Hills in southwestern Nebraska, along the Republican and Platte rivers, and in the Devil’s Nest area of northeast Nebraska where eastern redcedar is increasingly common. Many ranches and farms are at risk in some areas.

The ponderosa pine forests of western Nebraska exhibit unique characteristics that can lead to extreme fire behavior and a high rate of spread. As droughts intensified in July 2012, lightning- caused fires blackened almost 85,000 acres across Banner, Brown, Keya Paha and Dawes counties. The scenic Niobrara River valley was the hardest hit by the Region 24 Complex, Fairfield Creek, Wentworth, and Hall fires, which burned more than 75,000 acres and destroyed 31 structures, including several homes. The July 2006 Spotted Tail Fire burned through 12 miles of ponderosa pine forest in less than five hours and entered the town of Chadron. At its peak, the Spotted Tail Fire consumed more than 20 acres of forest per minute. In a 10-hour period, this complex of fires burned over 23 square miles. Fires during the summer of 2006 alone consumed 3.5 million tons of woody biomass, enough to heat and cool Chadron State College for 350 years.

Nebraska’s ponderosa pine forests are the eastern-most occurrence of this species in North America. Ponderosa pine in this area is known for re-generating in dense, overstocked stands, which create ladder fuels in pockets within the understory. Combined with persistent lower branches of the overstory pine trees and the heavy fuel loads of the native grasses found in both the forests and adjoining rangelands, the potential for intense, fast moving wildfires exists. This arrangement of heavy fine fuels under dense ladder fuels in close proximity of mature ponderosa pine forest has led to very destructive stand-replacing wildfires in both 2006 and 2012. These recent fires have completely removed live green ponderosa pine from many areas of the landscape, leaving no seed source to regenerate the forest.

Ongoing programs for forest fuels reduction in western Nebraska are critical to mitigate the risk of stand-replacing fires. These projects create excellent fuel breaks—helping firefighters control fires when they are small—providing an opportunity to extinguish fires during initial attacks.

Fire history in Nebraska encompasses many stand replacing fires: 1965, 1972, 1973, 1989, 1999, 2000 and 2006, where tens of thousands of acres were burned. These also include areas where pine forests were converted to grasslands. However, recent fires have become extreme in intensity and severity. The 2012 fire season far exceeded all others on record, burning over half a million acres statewide. Many of these pine forests were converted to grasslands where 100 percent of the ponderosa pine was lost during these fires, leaving no future crop trees.

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Like much of the country, people in Nebraska are moving to forested areas at an increasing rate, particularly in coniferous and riparian forests of Nebraska. Wildland fires in these areas pose a significant risk to lives and property. In 2006, fires in Valentine and Chadron destroyed 23 structures. In 2012, an additional 65 structures were lost due to major fires.

Trends Several trends have combined to aggregate the already at-risk conditions. Increasing forest fuel loads, increasing extent of eastern redcedar, expansion of housing into WUI areas, increasing temperatures, and drier conditions combined with longer fire seasons all increase the risk to life and property from the uncharacteristic wildfires.

Figure 15: Fire Return Interval Trends in Nebraska

Large wildfire events have increased in frequency and size over the past 50 years (Figure 15). Repeated, intense and uncharacteristic wildfires occurring in the ponderosa pine forests of the Pine Ridge in northwestern Nebraska have reduced forest cover from 250,000 acres to approximately 90,000 acres today. These forests burned so intensely that nearly all living trees were eliminated across large landscapes, converting former forests to grassland.

15. Land Use Current Conditions Nebraska is largely an agricultural state. In 2013, Nebraska had 49,300 farms and ranches using 45.3 million acres, about 92 percent of the land area. In 2007, there were 96,131 registered wells and 5,000 surface water rights irrigating about 8.3 million acres of crop and pastureland (Nebraska Department of Agriculture, 2015). At more than $23 billion in 2013, Nebraska produced 5.9 percent of the U.S. agricultural production. Nebraska’s total ethanol production ranks second in the nation.

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Nebraska’s sales of grains: oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas ($6.5 billion), and cattle and calves ($7.3 billion) both rank third in the nation (Nebraska Department of Agriculture, 2011, 2015).

Trends The number of farms in Nebraska has decreased, but the size of each farm has increased. In 1990, Nebraska had roughly 57,000 farms and ranches with an average farm size of 826 acres. A decade later there were 3,000 fewer farms, but the average farm size had increased by 33 acres (Nickerson et. al 2012).

Additionally, as older landowners pass on their land to younger generations, land management objectives change. In areas of the state where land has development value (e.g., the Pine Ridge, Wildcat Hills and Niobrara River valley and high population areas), increased fragmentation of large, intact forested acres into smaller acreages or “ranchettes” creates significant issues and negatively affects the production of ecosystem services provided by larger swaths of forests.

Sixty-seven percent of the people of Nebraska live within 40 miles of the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. This places high demand for property development and fragmentation in these areas. Additionally, recreational use of riparian forests in the eastern one-half of the state are high due to demand to escape urban environments. A social media survey found that 60 percent respondents (all were current residents of the state) were willing to travel any distance to utilize recreational forests.

Impacts on Nebraska’s Forest Resources Despite the critical economic and environmental roles in traditional and nontraditional agricultural systems, conservation tree planting has declined significantly since the 1980’s. Almost three decades ago, the Nebraska Conservation Tree Program sold 3-3.5 million trees annually for conservation purposes, such as farmstead windbreaks, wildlife habitat, water quality protection and soil erosion control. From 2005 to 2008, that number dropped to about 1 million trees sold annually for those same purposes (NFS, 2015).

Community Forest

Other Forest Areas

Loup River

Platte River

Nemaha River

Central Loess Hills

Loess Canyon

Pine Ridge 0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000

Figure 16: Extent of Forest Types by Area in Acres

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Figure 17: Distribution by Species

Figure 18: Distribution of Forests Across Nebraska

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Primary Forest Areas - Trend The Nebraska Forest Service developed maps identifying all forest areas within the state. The definition of a forest area was defined as any area containing greater than 10 percent forest canopy cover and greater than 1.0 acres in size. Beyond the mapping of the forest cover, the NFS reviewed the trends in population growth by county level to determine areas of the state that were seeing an increase in population. Long-term growth trends show increasing populations in urban areas. In 2010, about two-thirds of Nebraska residents lived in municipalities containing 2,500 or more residents, and the majority of the state’s population lived in the eastern third of the state (Nebraska Blue Book, 2015).

Increasing urban populations are creating the need for sustainable community forestry programs and the implementation of green infrastructure into community planning practices. Forest Legacy Areas in the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas can provide an opportunity for communities to address urbanization and the transformation of forests to pavement. Significant forest areas are present in and around these communities. Both Lincoln and Omaha Metro have protected areas but more is needed. Lincoln is experiencing a high rate of growth of 7.3 percent increase on an annual basis from 2010-2015, while Omaha metro is 2.8 percent growth over the same period (US Census Bureau, 2015).

Area of Family Owned forests in Nebraska 2005 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Figure 19: Family Reason for Owning Forestland in Nebraska (Meneguzzo et al. 2005)

Fragmentation and Parcelization Fragmentation is defined as the disruption of the continuity of the forest cover for purposes other than growing tree or forest habitat. Fragmentation creates disconnect between and within the forest environment and the various habitat requirements of species. Parcelization for the purposes of this assessment includes the dividing of properties into smaller ownerships resulting in additional development and constructions. Parcelization may result in properties being managed under different stewardship regimes. Because the parcels are smaller, the benefit of the management is not always beneficial to targeted species. With the increase in number of property owners and the decrease in size, management moves away from working forests to personal green space used for

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recreation and other non-forest activities. This trend is true throughout the United States and Nebraska is no exception.

Parcelization is a significant issue in the Urban FLAs and larger communities as the pressure from the urban areas increase. This issue is compounded as urban residents look outward from communities for recreational use and private get-away outside of the urban setting. Riparian forests like those found along our rivers and lakes are prime development areas for this purpose. The upland FLAs have pressure for parcelization and fragmentation as out of state and resident Nebraskans purchase parcels for recreational use. This is leading to larger ranches being broken up into smaller ownerships.

Figure 20: Communities With Population Over 15,000

The NFS mapped populations of communities greater than 15,000 people and reviewed that data to determine the most common reason for owning the lands. These maps were used to demonstrate the relationship between forestland area usage and population growth its population centers. This information was shared with the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee as a tool to determine, what, if any changes were necessary in the Nebraska Forest Legacy Areas of Need.

16. Nebraska’s Forest Products Nebraska’s forest resources contribute significantly to the state’s economy through the harvest and use of commodities, non-market environmental services, employment opportunities and wealth creation. Nebraska’s wood products manufacturing industry employs more than 2,200 workers with

41 | Page an output of $286 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). The USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Resource Bulletin NRS- 28, “Nebraska Timber Industry—An Assessment of Timber Product Output and Use, 2009,” (Walters, et al., 2010) summarizes the 2009 survey of all Nebraska sawmills and other primary wood products manufacturers.

The survey found: • Nebraska’s primary wood-using industry includes 62 mills (57 sawmills and 5 mills producing other products). • Nebraska’s primary wood-using mills processed 4.1 million cubic feet of industrial roundwood in 2009, a 19 percent decrease from 2006. Industrial roundwood production decreased by almost 33 percent, from 6.1 million cubic feet in 2006 to 4.1 million cubic feet in 2009. • More than 90 percent of the industrial roundwood processed by Nebraska mills was cut from Nebraska forests. Cottonwoods account for almost 90 percent of the total volume processed. • 75 percent of the industrial roundwood harvested was cottonwood. Ponderosa pine (10 percent) and eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) (10 percent) were the other major species harvested. • Nebraska sawmills processed 19.3 million board feet of saw logs in 2009, a decrease of 16 percent from 2006. • Cottonwood and ponderosa pine account for 91 percent of Nebraska’s harvest. • 8.3 million cubic feet of total wood material removed during harvest was less than 0.5 percent of the total live volume of trees in forestland.

Woody Biomass Woody biomass is a proven, reliable energy source for both heating and cooling, as well as industrial applications, including electricity produced and ethanol production. Woody biomass is a near-carbon- neutral fuel source that uses primary wood products removed from the forest during management practices. In Nebraska, approximately 1.5 million cubic feet of forest by-products are left on the ground as residues. Nebraska’s primary wood-using industries generated 68,000 green tons of wood residues (slabs, sawdust, bark, etc.); 76 percent of which were used for fuel, mulch, animal bedding, etc. The remaining 24 percent went unused.

Some larger woody biomass facilities include the Arbor Day Foundation’s Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, which burns 3,500 tons yearly; Chadron State College, heating and cooling system; a number of alfalfa dehydration plants that burn a total of 12,500 tons annually; and several forest product- processing mills that consume 64,000 tons each year. In 2011, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis converted to a woody biomass thermal energy system, and several other facilities are considering switching to woody biomass as a primary thermal energy source.

Nebraska’s forests produce 92 million cubic feet of net growth each year (Meneguzzo, et al., 2008; NFS, 2010). This is the equivalent of 1.47 million net air-dry tons of biomass per year. The total live- tree biomass on Nebraska’s forestland is approximately 55.5 million cubic feet (Meneguzzo, et al. 2008; NFS, 2010). An estimated 36.7 million cubic feet (590,000 net air-dry tons) of woody biomass growing on 2.01 million acres of non-forestland with trees across the state (NFS, 2010). As these trees die or are trimmed or pruned, a tremendous volume of material is left to decompose or be burned in waste piles.

Woody biomass offers opportunities to produce renewable energy, develop bio-based businesses, generate energy cost savings and create new markets for Nebraska’s low-value and waste wood resources. In a study completed in 2008, the Nebraska Wood Waste Supply and Utilization

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Assessment, identified an annual available resource of potential woody biomass fuel of 270,000 green tons of processed and unprocessed woody biomass from forest biomass, residual byproducts and community waste wood sources. Currently, there are eight commercial-scale wood-fired boilers in Nebraska.

The wood waste generated from wood products manufacturers represents an important bioenergy feedstock source in Nebraska. A significant amount of this processed wood waste is currently used for landscape mulch or is discarded. Community wood waste is an important potential bioenergy feedstock source. The greatest concentration of wood waste supply exists in the same general geographic areas where boiler conversion potential is the highest.

From 2005 through 2015, fuels treatment activities conducted on 1,173 acres of forestland in Nebraska’s Pine Ridge yielded considerable benefits for the area in the form of:

• 15,667 tons of woody biomass, • $231,000 in energy savings for Chadron State College, which used the biomass generated through the projects, and • 418 person-days of employment (NFS, 2010).

17. Rural Forest Legacy Area Descriptions Nebraska’s FLP is delivered through the development of the Forest Legacy Areas (FLAs). These areas were developed in cooperation with Nebraska’s Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee and the public through a survey and public involvement. Lands protected by various means were considered in the development of the FLAs.

Figure 21: Nebraska Priority Forest Landscapes

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Table 2: Forested Acres within FLAs

Forest Legacy Areas Over 97 percent of the forest areas in Nebraska are privately held and managed. Many of the areas are Forest Type Acres associated with rivers and streams that see high pressure Upland Forest for recreational use. The proximity of many of these lands Pine Ridge 107,232 to major city and towns place pressures on the landowners to fragment and sell for recreational use and development. Wildcat Hills 10,499 Areas along the rivers and streams in proximity to high Total Upland Forest 117,731 populations have become high priority for Forest Legacy. Riparian Forests The key forest legacy areas are described within this Forest Legacy Assessment of Needs. Each area is described in the Niobrara 225,000 next section of this document and relevance is discussed. Missouri 209,733 Elkhorn 76,608

Republican 80,847

Loup 104,290 Blue 109,046 Platte 210,817

Total Riparian Forests 1,016,341

Rural FLA Acres by area

107,232 210,817 10,499 117,731

109,046

225,000 104,290

80,847

76,608 209,733

Upland Forest Pine Ridge Wildcat Hills Niobrara Missouri Elkhorn Republican Loup Blue

Figure 22: Forested Acres Within FLAs

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Priority Forest Landscape: Pine Ridge FLA The Pine Ridge is a rocky precipice rising several hundred feet from the surrounding plains in Sioux, Dawes and Sheridan counties in northwest Nebraska. Ponderosa pine woodlands (open stands of trees, generally forming 25-60 percent cover) and forests (trees with crowns overlapping, forming 60-100 percent cover) occupy many of the north and east facing slopes and bottoms. Pine woodlands and mixed-grass prairie often occupy the south and west facing slopes.

The Pine Ridge is a pine-dominated escarpment within the grassland-dominated Great Plains. It supports many at-risk species at the edge of their range, including two of the state’s three populations of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis).

Figure 23: Pine Ridge Forest (NFS)

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission identified the Pine Ridge as a biologically unique landscape (BUL) in its 2005 Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. This area also was identified as a priority under Nebraska’s FLP. A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) has been in place for this area since 2003.

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Figure 24: Pine Ridge FLA

Protected Landscapes In the Pine Ridge there are several state parks, recreation areas and Wildlife Management Areas; these include , Ponderosa, Peterson and Metcalf WMAs. Fort Robinson is a large state park in the central portion of the Pine Ridge near Crawford, Nebraska. The manages nearly 52,000 acres of mixed ponderosa pine and native grassland prairie in the northern parts of Sioux and Dawes Counties. Two state recreation areas are located in the Pine Ridge FLA: Walgren Lake and Box Butte Reservoir.

Critical Issues: Loss of nearly two-thirds of the acres of ponderosa pine woodlands and forest in the past 20 years due to catastrophic wildfire (Nebraska Forest Service, 2015). At risk are the dry mesic ponderosa pine woodlands and savannas.

• Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to very high and growing fuel loads, chronic drought and severe weather. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • Interest in the development and mining of fossils has increased. • High concentration of green ash (susceptible to EAB). At risk are the green ash-elm-hackberry canyon bottomlands and cottonwood riparian woodlands.

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Forest Legacy Goals:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining ponderosa pine forests and ponderosa pine seed sources. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including fossil beds and historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources. 9. Protection of highly erodible soils.

Priority Forest Landscape: Wildcat Hills FLA Nebraska’s Wildcat Hills is a rocky escarpment that rises several hundred feet on the south side of the North Platte River in Scottsbluff, Banner and Morrill counties, and extends into portions of Kimball and Cheyenne counties. The north bluff consists of steep, deep canyons that support stands of mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), eastern redcedar and Rocky Mountain juniper. North-facing slopes support ponderosa pine woodlands. Mixed-grass prairie, rock outcrops and scattered patches of sand sage (Artemisia filifolia) prairie occupy the remainder of the Wildcat Hills.

The Wildcat Hills are unique in that they are an intact mosaic of pine woodlands and mixed-grass prairie that support the largest stands of mountain mahogany shrubland in the state.

The Wildcat Hills also support one of three Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep populations in the state. (Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2005) identified the Wildcat Hills and Wildcat Hills South as a BUL in its 2005 Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. This area also was identified as a priority under Nebraska’s FLP, and a CWPP is in place for a portion of this area.

Figure 25: Bluff and Forest Interface (NFS)

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Figure 26: Wildcat Hills FLA

Protected Landscapes The Wildcat Hills contains several properties that are protected which include Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Cedar Canyon WMA, Wildcat Hills WMA, Platte River Basin Environments, Inc. Bead Mountain and Montz Ranches, Scottsbluff National Monument, and The Nature Conservancy’s Murphy Ranch (Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2005).

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Critical Issues: • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to very high and growing fuel loads, chronic drought and severe weather. • Increasing forest fragmentation that includes development pressure and conversion from larger ranches into ranchettes and homes within the wildland urban interface. Forest Legacy Goals:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining ponderosa pine forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Niobrara River Valley FLA The Niobrara River begins in the high plains of eastern Wyoming and flows 535 miles to the Missouri River in northeast Nebraska. Six major ecosystems converge in the Niobrara valley: northern boreal forest, ponderosa pine forest, eastern deciduous forest, tallgrass prairie, mixed grass prairie and shortgrass prairie. NGPC designated the following BULs within the Niobrara Valley: Lower Niobrara River, Middle Niobrara River and Upper Niobrara River.

Sandbars on the lower stretch of the Niobrara River from western Holt County eastward support numerous colonies of the federally and state listed interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) and piping

Figure 27: Chat Canyon Forest Legacy Property in Niobrara River Valley

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plover (Charadrius melodus). Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are also known to nest along this reach of the Niobrara River. Protected areas within the landscape include Red Bird, Bohemia Prairie and Greenvale Wildlife Management Areas and . The middle Niobrara River valley also provides habitat for many at-risk species including whooping crane (Grus americana), bald eagle, piping plover, interior least tern, and Bailey’s eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana baileyi)—a subspecies endemic to the valley.

The upper Niobrara River supports a unique assemblage of cold-water fish including the pearl dace (Margariscus margarita), as well as the state listed blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) and finescale dace (Phoxinus neogaeus). Wet meadows in the Niobrara River valley in western Sioux County support the state’s only known population of Ute-ladies’-tresses orchid (Spiranthes diluvialis).

Figure 28: Niobrara FLA

Protected Landscapes The primary protected areas within the landscape include The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve, Fort Niobrara and several state wildlife management areas and state recreation areas. The Nature Conservancy’s Cherry Ranch and Prairie Plains Resource Institute’s Guadalcanal Memorial Prairie are significant protected properties in this FLA.

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Critical Issues: • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to very high and growing fuel loads and chronic drought. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • The easternmost extent of ponderosa pine in the United States is chronically stressed and may be susceptible to mountain pine beetle. • High concentration of green ash in the area are susceptible to EAB. • Unique ecological convergence of forest types in one area, with potentially rare germplasm, all at risk without active management.

Forest Legacy Goals:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining ponderosa pine forests and ponderosa pine seed sources. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Missouri River FLA The Missouri River extends along the eastern edge of Nebraska from the Nebraska/Kansas border to the Nebraska/South Dakota border. Upland deciduous forests cover the bluffs and Loess Hills adjacent to the Missouri River and rolling uplands along the Missouri River Corridor.

The majority of these forests are classified as oak-hickory (Quescus spp. / Carya spp.) forests and contain species typical of central hardwood forests. However, the mix and diversity of forest species depends on latitude. For example, the upland deciduous forests in the southern section of the Missouri River corridor often include northern red oak, black oak (Quercus velutina), bur oak, chinkapin oak, shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), basswood, black walnut, honey locust, Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), red mulberry, redbud, red elm, and hackberry.

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Figure 29: Missouri River Bluffs (NFS)

The northern reaches of the corridor generally do not include the hickories, black oak, chinkapin oak, red mulberry, and redbud (Cercis canadensis). There are 11 state-listed species that occur within the Missouri River corridor, six of which are also federally listed. The majority of the floodplain’s riparian forests have been converted to cropland. Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (2005) designated several BULs in this area as part of its 2005 Nebraska Natural Legacy Project: Missouri River, Indian Bluffs, Ponca Bluffs, Rulo Bluffs and Thurston-Dakota Bluffs. This area was also designated as a priority under Nebraska’s FLP in 2002.

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Figure 30: Northern Missouri River FLA

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Figure 31: Southern Missouri River FLA

Protected Landscapes Along the Missouri River corridor there are several protected lands: 2 Native American Reservations, a stretch of the Missouri River Wild and Scenic River, 2 state parks, 4 state recreation areas, 1 historic park, 15 wildlife management areas, and 1 national wildlife refuge.

Critical Issues: • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts.

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• High-grading timber harvests (repeatedly removing only the highest quality trees while leaving poorest quality trees). • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) and aggressive native species (eastern redcedar). • Livestock grazing affecting forest health and sustainability. • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species and other mammals and reptiles of concern. • Herbicide damage from agricultural chemicals. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash and black walnut at risk to EAB and thousand cankers disease, respectively.

Forest Legacy Goals:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Platte River FLA The Platte River flows across the entire state of Nebraska and encompasses 225,978 acres of forestland, including 64,678 acres of deciduous forest, 4,528 acres of coniferous forest, 1,192 acres of mixed forest and 155,579 acres of riparian forest (Homer, et al., 2004).

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Figure 32: Braided Channels of the Platte River (NGPC/Nebraska Land Magazine)

Eastern (Lower) Platte River The lower portion of the Platte River includes the Platte River channel and its floodplain from the river’s confluence with the Loup River in Platte County eastward to its mouth in Sarpy County. Much of the stream bank is wooded, with the dominant species being cottonwood and eastern redcedar, along with red mulberry, hackberry, Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), black walnut and boxelder. Because the river no longer floods, native cottonwood stands established in scouring floods many years ago are over-mature, decadent and beginning to break up. These stands are being replaced by eastern redcedar or mixed hardwoods (e.g., hackberry, red mulberry, green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Russian olive). Conversion to eastern redcedar is creating a new, highly flammable riparian forest type.

The lower Platte also supports many rare large river fish including lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus), sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida) and pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus).

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Figure 33: Eastern Platte River FLA

Protected Landscapes Protected areas along this reach of the Platte River include Two Rivers State Recreation Area, Louisville State Recreation Area, Platte River State Park, and Mahoney State Park.

Critical Issues: • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire in places due to growing fuel loads of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability and endangered species management, threatening the existence of riparian forests. Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive), aggressive native species (eastern redcedar) and non-woody invasives (phragmites, purple loosestrife). • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash and black walnut, at risk to EAB and thousand cankers disease, respectively.

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Forest Legacy Goals:

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Central Platte River The central Platte River includes the Platte River channel and floodplain from central Dawson County eastward to central Hamilton County. Sandbars and wooded islands are common within the channel. Much of the stream bank is extensively wooded with the dominant species being cottonwood and eastern redcedar, along with red mulberry, hackberry, green ash, Russian olive, and others.

The staging of Sandhill cranes during spring migration on the Platte River is a unique world-class ecological phenomenon. It is also a critical element in the life cycle of the mid-continent population of Sandhill cranes. Roosts numbering in the tens of thousands are scattered throughout the Platte River. The shortage of wet meadows in spring staging areas on the Platte River is considered a potential threat to the mid-continental population of Sandhill cranes.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the protection of the Platte River as migratory habitat for Sandhill cranes a priority. In addition to Sandhill cranes, millions of geese, ducks and other waterfowl, and a variety of shorebirds use this stretch of the river. Five federal and/or state-listed species occur along the Central Platte: whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover, bald eagle and river otter (Lutra canadensis). This portion of the Platte is designated as critical habitat for whooping cranes and piping plovers.

Other threats to the river include demand for irrigation water and a massive infestation of invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis), saltcedar (Tamarisk spp.), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and Russian olive found along hundreds of miles of river. This stretch of the Platte River has had extensive water depletion and in recent summers has gone dry over much of its reach.

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Figure 34: Central Platte River FLA

Protected Landscapes The Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and NGPC own and manage a number of protected areas within this reach of the river.

Critical Issues • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to growing fuel loads of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability and endangered species management, threatening existence of riparian forests. • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive), aggressive native species (eastern redcedar) and non-woody invasives (phragmites, purple loosestrife). • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species. • High concentration of green ash at risk to EAB.

Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity.

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2. Protection of unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and Oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat to include the Sandhill crane migration areas. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Western Platte River The western most portion of the Platte River includes the North and South Platte River valleys and the land between them in Keith and Lincoln counties. Russian olive, phragmites, saltcedar and eastern redcedar have colonized the floodplain woodlands and meadows. Both the North Platte and South Platte rivers in this reach are shallow streams with braided, mostly wooded channels. These streams are unique in that they support several species of rare cold-water fish, including the northern redbelly dace (Phoxinus eos) and finescale dace. The streams also support submergent wetland plants that feed over-wintering trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator). Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, 2005) designated several BULs along the Platte River as part of the 2005 Nebraska Natural Legacy Project: Lower Platte River, Central Platte River Platte Confluence and North Platte River Wetlands.

Figure 35: Western Platte River FLA

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Protected Landscapes Protected areas along this reach of the Platte River include Lake McConaughy, Garden County Wildlife Refuge, and NGPC owns and manages a number of protected areas within this reach of the river.

Critical Issues • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to growing fuel loads of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability and endangered species management, threatening existence of riparian forests. • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive), aggressive native species (eastern redcedar) and non-woody invasives (phragmites, purple loosestrife). • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash at risk to EAB.

Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Overview of Protected Landscapes along the Platte River System There are 74 properties protected along the Platte River system in Nebraska. These include 43 state wildlife management areas, 20 state recreation areas, 1 national wildlife refuge, 1 national monument, 1 national historic park, 1 state historic area, 2 state historic parks, 1 private trust, and 4 state parks.

Priority Forest Landscape: Elkhorn River FLA The Elkhorn River originates in north central Nebraska and meets the Platte River near Gretna. The Elkhorn River’s floodplain is primarily cropland but also contains cottonwood dominated woodlands, wet meadows and freshwater marshes. The uplands on the south side of the river are composed of sand dunes originating from river alluvium. Dry-mesic sand prairie, mostly grazed, and bur oak woodlands occupy the dunes. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (2005) designated the Elkhorn Confluence a BUL in its Natural Legacy Project.

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Figure 36: Elkhorn FLA

Protected Landscapes Nine wildlife management areas are already protected within the Elkhorn FLA. Two county and one state recreation areas are also within the FLA.

Critical Issues • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire in places due to growing fuel loads in dense stands of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability and endangered species management, threatening existence of the forest. • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive) and aggressive native species (eastern redcedar). • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash and black walnut, at risk to EAB and thousand cankers disease, respectively.

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Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Republican River FLA The Republican River begins in southwest Nebraska at the convergence of the North Fork Republican and Arikaree rivers flowing southeast out of Colorado. Riparian forested stands along the river, characterized by diverse stands of eastern cottonwood, red mulberry, hackberry, green ash, eastern redcedar, Russian olive, black walnut and northern catalpa, are home to deer, turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), beavers (Castor canadensis), bald eagles, herons, coyotes, (Canis latrans), and foxes.

Riparian forests have experienced significant damage due to declining water tables in recent drought years. Over the past decade, most of the eastern reaches of this river were invaded by phragmites, requiring massive control efforts to restore streamflow. Western reaches have experienced significant colonization by Russian olive and saltcedar. Eastern redcedar is increasingly occurring under deciduous riparian forests along the central portion of the river.

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Figure 37: Republican River FLA

Protected Landscapes There are seven wildlife management areas and one state recreation area within the Republican River FLA.

Critical Issues • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire due to growing fuel loads of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability, threatening existence of the forest. • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive, saltcedar) and aggressive native species (eastern redcedar). • High wildlife values for uncommon and migratory bird species. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash and black walnut, at risk to EAB and thousand cankers disease, respectively.

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Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Loup River FLA The Loup River basin includes the lower reaches of the Middle Loup River (northcentral Custer County southeastward), North Loup River (southwest Garfield County southeastward), and the Loup River from its origin to the Nance/Platte county line.

Sandbars on the lower reaches of the Loup River support nesting colonies of the federally and state- listed interior least tern and piping plover. The federally and state-endangered whooping crane uses sandbars and wet meadows in the Loup River floodplains as migratory stopover habitat. Bald eagles also nest in tall cottonwoods along the Loup rivers. Nebraska’s most extensive populations of the state-threatened small white lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) occur in wet meadows in the Middle Loup River floodplain.

Farther west are the upper reaches of the Middle Loup, Dismal, North Loup and Calamus Rivers, including their headwaters in the central Sandhills southeastward to where the rivers enter the Loess Hills. The bluffs are mainly covered with dune prairie. The steep bluffs of the north and south forks of the Dismal River support eastern redcedar woodland in some areas (not included in the FLA).

The upper reaches of these rivers and some of their tributaries are significant because they support assemblages of rare fish, including the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka), blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis), and finescale dace. The federally and state-endangered whooping cranes use wider, braided reaches of the stream channels and associated meadows as migratory stopover habitat. The federally and state-threatened western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) occurs in wet meadows within the valleys. The American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is found within this landscape. Protected areas within the landscape include portions of the Nebraska National Forest (Bessey District) and a few smaller Wildlife Management Areas.

The Nebraska Game & Parks Commission designated the following BULs in this area as part of its 2005 Nebraska Natural Legacy Project: Lower Loup River and Middle Loup River and tributaries and North Loup River.

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Figure 38: Loup River FLA

Protected Landscapes Twenty-seven wildlife management areas, four state recreation areas, and one county recreation area is within the Loup River FLA. One national wildlife refuge is also near the FLA.

Critical Issues • Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire in places due to growing fuel loads of eastern redcedar. • Conflicts over water availability and endangered species management, threatening existence of the forest. • Steep decline in gallery cottonwood forest type, with negative ecological and economic impacts. • Heavy infestations of invasive woody species (Russian olive) and aggressive native species (eastern redcedar). • High wildlife values for uncommon and/or migratory bird species. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High concentration of green ash and black walnut, at risk to EAB and thousand cankers disease, respectively.

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Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection of remaining unique forest ecosystems with emphasis on cottonwood forests and oak/hickory forests. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of forested parcels in danger of conversion or parcelization. 6. Protection of unique ecological areas including historic sites. 7. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 8. Protection of water resources.

18. Urban FLAs Priority Forest Landscape: Lincoln FLA The Lincoln FLA focuses on a 25-mile radius around the city where expansion is most evident. This encompasses all of Lancaster County and small portions of surrounding counties. The city’s growth is in all directions now. Growth in Lincoln has been around 7.5 percent for the last 10 years placing significant pressure on the natural environment. Native oak, ash and hickory forests are common in the area with ash, elm and cottonwood woodlands and forest in the riparian areas. The forest areas are at risk of development for residential housing and threatened by the expansion of eastern redcedar and Russian olive.

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Figure 39: Urban FLA Areas (includes a 25-mile buffer around the city limits)

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Figure 40: Lincoln FLA Priority Areas (Lincoln’s Master Plan, 2012)

Protected Landscapes Lincoln has been actively protecting forest communities and riparian forest since the 1960’s. The Salt Valley Greenway (Greenway) has been a part of planning in Lincoln and Lancaster County since the 1961 Lincoln Comprehensive Plan and has been part of comprehensive planning for the City and County since. The 2040 Lincoln and Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan includes a vision for the Greenway that includes a ribbon of open space and greenway links within the Salt Valley drainage basin forming a continuous loop around the City of Lincoln and extending into the County, primarily along drainage basins, forming tributary tendrils. The Greenway is envisioned to protect natural resources and forests to create opportunities for recreation, education and outreach opportunities.

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The resulting green corridors both divide the urban area creating natural corridors for plants and animals, and unite the rural and agricultural areas with the urban and residential areas. Currently 5,020 acres within the corridor are in public ownership, conservation ownership, or under some sort of conservation easement. Critical Issues • Long-term growth trends show increasing populations in urban areas and continued population declines in many rural counties in central and western Nebraska. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High interest in the development. • High concentration of green ash (susceptible to EAB). At risk are the green ash-elm-hackberry forests and cottonwood riparian woodlands.

Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection from fragmentation and development. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 6. Protection of water resources.

Priority Forest Landscape: Omaha FLA The Omaha FLA focuses on a 25-mile radius around the metro area where expansion is most evident in the four counties adjacent to and surrounding the city itself. This includes portions of Dodge, Washington, Saunders and Cass Counties and all of Sarpy and Douglas Counties. The population of Omaha increased by 11 percent from 1960 to 1990, with an estimated growth in households by 44 percent. This exceeded the physical size of the city (Fahey, 2000). The city’s growth is mostly south, west and north in Nebraska and east in the Council Bluffs area of Iowa. With the metro area is expected to exceed 1 million people before 2025.

Native oak, ash and hickory forests are common in the area with ash, elm and cottonwood woodlands and forest in the riparian areas. The Platte River and the Missouri River are two major riparian forest areas that have a high level of recreational use and are at risk of development and fragmentation in the metro area. The forest areas are at risk from encroaching eastern redcedar and Russian olive.

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Figure 41: Omaha Metro Master Plan Map (City of Omaha Master Plan, 2000)

Protected Landscapes Omaha metro area has an extensive network of parks, trails and protected forest areas. The community is ranked 12th nationally as having the best park system. This ranking is based on the access, acres protected and the services available for visitors. There are over 260 protected landscapes within the Omaha metro area including over 11,000 protected park acres, 2 national wildlife refuges, 12 natural resource district properties, 35 state WMAs, SRAs and state parks— protecting many thousands of additional acres. Omaha first recognized the value of the open space, forested areas and parks in the 1920s, with over one dozen new large parks (40-50 acre) and passive green areas established. Later in the 1950s, development often outpaced the community’s ability to acquire large open spaces resulting in fewer smaller parks, and often on less desirable

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lands that were not easy to develop. In the 60s, many of the parks were set aside as neighborhood parks. With the long-term goal of protecting natural systems and environmental quality, the City and surrounding communities are actively managing the parks and open areas. Parks and open green space were disproportionately spaced across the metro area as trends in acquisition were not always consistent. By developing linkages between these natural areas, more use within the system will allow for broader use of the natural communities within and outside the metro area (Fahey, 2000).

Critical Issues • Long-term growth trends show increasing populations in urban areas and continued population declines in many rural counties in central and western Nebraska. • Increasing development and fragmentation of forest and woodlands. • High interest in development. • High concentration of green ash (susceptible to EAB). At risk are the green ash-elm-hackberry forests and cottonwood riparian woodlands.

Forest Legacy Goals

1. Protection of flora/fauna diversity. 2. Protection from fragmentation and development. 3. Protection of significant riparian forest. 4. Protection of wildlife habitat. 5. Protection of hunting and fishing based recreation. 6. Protection of water resources.

19. Public Participation Western Environmental and the NFS Forest Legacy Manager developed a two-page survey to encourage public participation in the original effort to identify critical Forest Legacy Areas. To supplement the information of demographics and interest, the Nebraska Forest Service did solicit involvement and comments on this AON from public, state, and local interests utilizing several techniques. In evaluating the effectiveness and interest of the public, the Nebraska Forest Service conducted a statewide survey to solicit feedback on implementation of the FLP in Nebraska. Utilizing social media sources, primarily Facebook, a targeted survey was posted to solicit feedback from the citizens of the state. The focus of the effort was to determine how impactful forests were for the citizens of Nebraska and how much time respondents would travel to utilize these important resources.

Highlights of the survey include: 99.5 percent of Nebraskans feel outdoor recreation is important and 61.6 percent of Nebraskans will drive any distance to utilize protected lands that have public access. This is particularly prevalent in a state that has such a high level of private ownership. These protected lands are highly prized by Nebraskans. The top five outdoor uses include:

• 40 percent of respondents engaged in hunting/fishing/trapping, • 39 percent of respondents engaged in hiking or walking, • 30 percent engaged in modern camping, • 28 percent engaged in boating/canoeing, • 22 percent engaged in wildlife viewing and photography.

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The types of land most commonly visited include State Recreation Areas, Parks, Wildlife Management Areas and Wild and Scenic Rivers.

200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60

# of Respondents 40 20 0

Figure 42: Types of Areas Visited by Nebraskans

Nebraskan’s utilize forests for many purposes, our protected lands in the state recreations areas are highly prized.

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40

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0 Very Important Neutral Little Not Important Don't Know Important Importance

Figure 43: Importance of Forest Management

Ninety percent of Nebraskans surveyed identified managing forest in a sustainable manner as either important or very important (n=124).

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70 60 50 40 30 20 # of Respondents 10 0 Very Important Important Neutral Little Not Important Don't Know Importance

Figure 44: Manage Forests to Reduce Threats

Ninety-three percent of Nebraskans surveyed identified managing forest to reduce the threats to the forest ecosystem as important or very important (n=125).

70 60 50 40 30 20 # of Respondents 10 0 Very Important Important Neutral Little Not Important Don't Know Importance

Figure 45: Forests are Important to Protect and Enhance Water Quality

Eighty-two percent of Nebraskans surveyed identified Nebraska’s forest as important to protect and enhance water quality (n=125).

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50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 # of Respondents 10 5 0 Very Important Important Neutral Little Not Important Don't Know Importance

Figure 46: Trees Enhance Air Quality

Seventy-four percent of Nebraskans surveyed identified Nebraska’s forest as important to protect and enhance air quality (n=123).

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Figure 47: Forests Importance for Fish and Wildlife

Eight-seven percent of Nebraskans surveyed believe Nebraska forests protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat (n=123).

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In 2002, respondents a survey identified wildlife habitat, urban sprawl, water quality, riparian protection, and unique ecological sites as the highest value reasons for protecting important working forests in Nebraska. The results of the ‘15 survey and the ‘02 survey indicate the same values expressed for forestland and trees by Nebraskan as those found in a 1983 survey.

Nebraskan’s have a storied history with forests and trees, and these surveys are consistent with that rich history and past surveys. In 1895, the Nebraska legislature declared Nebraska the “Tree Planter’s State” as home of Arbor Day. Today, Nebraska boasts having 106 Tree City USA communities. The state has two national forests and 54 state parks each supporting our unique forest ecosystems. This AON will further the protection of the resources identified as important resources for Nebraska and will assist in our effort to keep the state’s working forests working.

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20. Resource Plans Several resource assessments were considered in developing this Assessment of Need for the FLP. This is not intended to be a complete list of resources; the list includes some critical documents that play an important role in the analysis of the FLAs.

• Nebraska Forest Action Plan • Nebraska Forest Statewide Assessment • Statewide Forest Legacy Assessment of Need for the Nebraska FLP • Nebraska Forest Service Strategic Plan • The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project – A Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy • Omaha Master Plan • 2015 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report • Nebraska’s Forest Resource Bulletin • Lincoln - Salt Valley Greenway and Prairie Corridor

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21. Literature Cited

Adams, D. (2010). Nebraska forest products manufacturers: Primary processors. University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Digital Commons. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebforestpubs/63.

Bathke, D., Oglesby, R., Rowe, C., & Wilhite, D. (2014). Understanding and assessing climate change: Implications for Nebraska. University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Bessey, C.E. & Webber, H.J. (1889). Report of the botanist on the grasses and forage plants, and the catalogue of plants. Lincoln, NE: Nebraska State Board of Agriculture.

Bleed, A., & Hoffman-Babbit, C. (2015). Nebraska’s natural resource districts: An assessment of a large-scale locally controlled water governance framework. Retrieved from: http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/layout07b-web.pdf.

Drilling Edge. (2016). Oil and gas data across the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.drillingedge.com/.

Energy Information Administration. (2016). State energy data system. Retrieved from: http://www.eia.gov.

Fahey, M. (2000). Omaha master plan: Parks and recreation element. Retrieved from: http://planning.cityofomaha.org/images/stories/Master percent20Plan/Master percent20Plan percent20Elements percent20Feb percent202008/Parks percent20Element.PDF.

Ferguson, R. (2016). Soil productivity vital for economical crop production. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Retrieved from: http://sdn.unl.edu/soil_productivity.

Figueroa-Alfaro R.W. and Tang, Z. (2015). Evaluating the aesthetic value of cultural ecosystem services by mapping geo-tagged photographs from social media data on Panoramio and Flickr. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09640568.2016.1151772.

Homer, C. C. Huang, L. Yang, B. Wylie & Coan, M. (2004). Development of a 2001 national land cover database for the United States. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, (70) (7), 829- 840.

Meneguzzo, D.M., Butler, B.J., Crocker, S.J., Haugen, D.E., Moser, W.K., Perry, C.H., Wilson, B.T., Woodall, C.W. (2008). Nebraska’s Forests 2005. USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin NRS-27. Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.

Nebraska Blue Book. (2009). Retrieved from: http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/epubs/l3000/D001- 200809.pdf. Nebraska Blue Book. (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/bluebook/bluebook.pdf.

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Nebraska Department of Agriculture. (2011). Nebraska fact sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/publications/ne_ag_facts_brochure.pdf. Nebraska Department of Agriculture. (2015). Nebraska fact sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/publications/ne_ag_facts_brochure.pdf. Nebraska Department of Agriculture. (2016). Nebraska fact sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/publications/ne_ag_facts_brochure.pdf.

Nebraska Department of Economic Development. (2016). Nebraska travel and tourism facts. Retrieved from: http://www.neded.org/files/research/tourfact.pdf.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. (2016). Nebraska water monitoring programs report: Water quality division. Retrieved from: http://deq.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/pages/WAT233. Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. (2010). Annual report. Retrieved from: http://www.dnr.ne.gov/publications. Nebraska Forest Service. (2010). Nebraska forest action plan. Retrieved from: http://nfs.unl.edu/documents/NebForest2010.pdf. Nebraska Forest Service. (2015). Nebraska forest action plan (rev.). Retrieved from: http://www.stateforesters.org/sites/default/files/publication-documents/Nebraska percent20Forest percent20Action percent20Plan percent202015.pdf. Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. (2005). The Nebraska natural legacy project: A comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy.

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. (2016). At-risk species. Retrieved from: http://outdoornebraska.gov/atriskspecies/.

Nebraska State Historical Society. (2016). Building on the historic and cultural foundation of Nebraska: The state historic preservation plan for Nebraska, 2012-2016. Retrieved from: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/publications/SHPO_Plan_Nebraska_2012-16.pdf.

Nickerson, C., Morehart, M., Kuethe, T., Beckman, J., Ifft, J., & Williams, R. (2012). Trends in U.S. farmland values and ownership. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. EIB-92. Retrieved from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=44660.

Pimentel, D., Zuniga, R., Morrison D., (2005). Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological Economics. (52), 273-288.

Schmidt, T., & Wardle, T., (1998). Forestland resources of Nebraska. North Central Forest Experiment Station. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved from: https://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/epubs/pdf/rp332.pdf.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2002). Population estimates. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/popest/data/historical/2000s/vintage_2002/. U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Census bureau releases: 2011 American community survey estimates. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb12- 175.html.

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U.S. Census Bureau. (2015). Release of 2014 U.S. and state population estimates on American fact finder and monthly population estimates. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press- releases/2015/cb15-tps05.html.

National Invasive Species Information Center. (2009). Gateway to invasive species information: covering federal, state, local, and international sources. Retrieved from: https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov.

U.S. Geological Survey. (2015). Mineral commodity summaries 2015: U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/70140094.

U.S. Geological Survey. (2016). Mineral industry survey and USGS minerals yearbook. Retrieved from: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals.

Walters, B., Adams, D., Piva, R. (2009). Nebraska timber industry: An assessment of timber product output and use. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. (NRS-69). Retrieved from: doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RB-69.

Wright, H.E., Jr. (1970). Vegetational history of the Great Plains: Pleistocene and recent environments of the central Great Plains. (pp. 157-172). Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.

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Appendix

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Appendix A: Nebraska Forest Service Summary The Nebraska Forest Service (NFS), as part of the University of Nebraska and the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR), provides comprehensive forestry education, technical and financial assistance, and many other services to Nebraskans. NFS is firmly committed to leading the state in sustaining and improving Nebraska’s tree and forest resources, caring for and utilizing these resources wisely, and developing wood product markets to foster greater utilization.

Trees and forests provide many benefits to the citizens of Nebraska. They create valuable wildlife habitat, provide recreational opportunities, clean our water and air, save energy, and contribute to the “Good Life” that all Nebraskans enjoy. These resources also bolster Nebraska’s forest industry, helping create thousands of jobs while generating substantial economic growth.

Globally, forests are facing many challenges, including land use conversion, deforestation, introduced pests and invasives, and changing productive trees and forests, long into the future. NFS works to protect and enhance our tree and forest resources through the Wildland Fire Protection, Rural Forestry, Community Forestry, and Forest Health programs.

NFS, together with partners and the people of Nebraska, implements effective programs that plant, care for, restore, manage and utilize Nebraska’s trees and forests. Our strategic plan charts the agency’s course over the next five years to ensure that these programs remain relevant and impactful in a rapidly changing world.

The FLP perfectly complements the NFS mission and strategic plan, right alongside the value Nebraskans place in the state’s natural resources.

Vision The Nebraska Forest Service leads the state, inspiring and assisting others to create and sustain healthy, productive forests. The Forest Products Utilization program leads the state in forest products expertise and assistance, establishing and strengthening markets for Nebraska’s tree and forest resources. Mission The Nebraska Forest Service mission is to enrich the lives of Nebraska citizens by protecting, restoring and utilizing Nebraska’s tree and forest resources. In support of the agency mission, the mission of the Forest Products Utilization program is to facilitate healthy and sustainable forest resources through the development of diverse and sustainable markets for Nebraska forest products. Core Values Our core values are integrity in all interactions, responsible and sustainable stewardship and outstanding service in addressing Nebraska’s needs.

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Appendix B: State Stewardship Coordination Committee June 2016

First Last Name Name Position Agency/Organization TES, Wildlife & Fish Program Abegglen Jeff Manager U.S. Forest Service Armbrust Bill Woodland Owner Forests and Grasslands Atchley Kevin Supervisor U.S. Forest Service Derickson Craig STC USDA - NRCS

DuPlissis John Rural Forestry Program Leader Nebraska Forest Service Hovorka Duane Executive Director Nebraska Wildlife Federation Western Nebraska Resources McIntosh Bruce Director Council McJunkin Jared Conservation Field Supervisor National Wild Turkey Federation Moudry Jason Water Program Specialist Lower Loup NRD State Wildlife Biologist \ State Nelson Ritch Forester USDA - NRCS Reisdorff Greg Program Specialist USDA - FSA Schulz Dan Resources Coordinator Lower Platte South NRD Seaton Jay NRD Forester Nebraska Forest Service Soncksen Brad ASTC/P USDA - NRCS Straight Rich Technology Transfer Leader National Agroforestry Center Wittrock Galen Assistant Manager South Platte NRD Nebraska Game & Parks Zach Eric Ag Program Manager Commission

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Appendix C: Nebraska’s Soil Data General Soil Map Explanation Richard Ferguson 2016 http://sdn.unl.edu/soil_productivity For the purposes of this map, the soils of Nebraska were grouped into 80 soil associations. A soil grouping is a grouping of soil series geographically associated in a characteristic repeating pattern and directly related to topographic areas such as uplands, terraces and bottomlands. They are numbered in the order of their estimated extent within the state; that is, the association with the most acres is number 1 and that with the least acreage is number 80 (an estimation of the acreages is given after the association name). The associations are grouped by the dominant type of parent material the soils formed in, for instance: SOIL FORMED DOMINANTLY IN LOESS. This map is part of a series of soil maps available for Nebraska and contains less detail than most other maps. The least detailed soil map available is a page-sized map with the scale of approximately 1:2,500,000. For more detailed, consult on of the 11 General Soil Maps for Nebraska areas at the scale of 1:250,000. The most detail is available in Nebraska’s county soil survey reports, where the maps are at a scale of 1:24,000 or larger.

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Soil Formed Dominantly in Loess 2. COLY-ULY-HOLDREGE ASSOCIATION - 4,511,600 acres COLY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-and excessively drained, silty soils on uplands. ULY: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. HOLDREGE: Very deep, gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

4. NORA-CROFTON-MOODY ASSOCIATION - 1,614,400 acres NORA: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. CROFTON: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-and somewhat excessively drained, silty soils on uplands. MOODY: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

6. NORA-MOODY-JUDSON ASSOCIATION - 1,346,700 acres NORA: Very deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands. MOODY: Very deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands. JUDSON: Very deep, nearly level, well-drained, silty soils formed in colluvium on foot slopes.

7. KUMA-KEITH-COLBY ASSOCIATION - 1,294,500 acres KUMA: Very deep, nearly level, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. KEITH: Very deep, nearly level, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. COLBY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-and excessively drained, silty soils on uplands.

8. HASTINGS-FILLMORE ASSOCIATION - 1,223,500 acres HASTINGS: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands and in depressions. FILLMORE: Very deep, nearly level, poorly-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils in depressions.

11. CRETE-HASTINGS-BUTLER ASSOCIATION - 819,000 acres CRETE: Very deep, nearly level, moderately well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. HASTINGS: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands. BUTLER: Very deep, nearly level, somewhat poorly-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands.

14. HASTINGS-CRETE-FILLMORE ASSOCIATION - 731,900 acres HASTINGS: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands. CRETE: Very deep, nearly level, moderately well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. FILLMORE: Very deep, nearly level, poorly-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils in depressions.

17. SHARPSBURG ASSOCIATION - 677,000 acres Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

21. HOLDREGE-ULY-COLY ASSOCIATION - 581,800 acres HOLDREGE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. ULY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. COLY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-and somewhat excessively drained, silty soils on uplands.

24. HOLDER-ULY-COLY ASSOCIATION - 526,300 acres HOLDER: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. ULY: Very deep, nearly level to sleep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. COLY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-and somewhat excessively drained, silty soils on uplands.

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25. MARSHALL-PONCA ASSOCIATION - 515,500 acres MARSHALL: Very deep, gently sloping to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands. PONCA: Very deep, gently sloping to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

31. MONONA-IDA ASSOCIATION - 423,900 acres MONONA: Very deep, strongly sloping to very steep, well-to excessively drained silty soils on uplands. IDA: Deep, strongly sloping to very steep, well-to excessively drained silty soils on uplands.

33. COLY-ULY ASSOCIATION - 411,100 acres COLY: Very deep, strongly sloping to very steep well-to excessively drained, silty soils on uplands. ULY: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

37. CROFTON-ALCESTER-NORA ASSOCIATION - 381,000 acres CROFTON: Very deep, gently sloping to very steep, well-to excessively drained, silty soils on uplands. ALCESTER: Very deep, gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed on foot slopes. NORA: Very deep, gently sloping to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

53. HASTINGS-HOLDER ASSOCIATION - 241,600 acres HASTINGS: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands. HOLDER: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.

72. MOODY-FILLMORE ASSOCIATION - 115,900 acres MOODY: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils on high terraces. FILLMORE: Very deep, nearly level, poorly drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils in depressions.

74. SHARPSBURG-FILLMORE ASSOCIATION - 105,400 acres SHARPSBURG: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils on high terraces. FILLMORE: Very deep, nearly level, poorly drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils in depressions.

76. ONITA-RELIANCE-REE ASSOCIATION - 91,500 acres ONITA: Very deep, nearly level, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands. RELIANCE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils on uplands. REE: Very deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils on uplands.

SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN SANDY AND LOAMY MATERIALS 15. HERSH-VALENTINE ASSOCIATION - 699,800 acres HERSH: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-to excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. VALENTINE: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands.

18. VALENT -WOODLY-JAYEM ASSOCIATION - 662,100 acres VALENT: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands. WOODLY: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. JAYEM: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands.

27. THURMAN-BOELUS-NORA ASSOCIATION - 488,500 acres

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THURMAN: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand. BOELUS: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, sandy over loamy soils formed in eolian sand over loess on uplands. NORA: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands.

36. JAYEM-SARBEN-VALENT ASSOCIATION - 401,000 acres JAYEM: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. SARBEN: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. VALENT: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands.

40. SATANTA-JAYEM-CANYON ASSOCIATION - 358,000 acres SATANTA: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. JAYEM: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. CANYON: Shallow, nearly level to moderately steep, excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material and weathered sandstone on uplands.

47. KENESAW-HERSH ASSOCIATION - 278,500 acres KENESAW: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess uplands and terraces. HERSH: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands and terraces.

51. BAZILE-THURMAN-BOELUS ASSOCIATION - 244,900 acres BAZILE: Moderately deep over sand, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and eolian sand on uplands. THURMAN: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands. BOELUS: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, sandy over loamy soils formed in eolian sand over loess on uplands.

54. MOODY-THURMAN ASSOCIATION - 232,400 acres MOODY: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands. THURMAN: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands.

SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN LOESS AND TILL 5. WYMORE-PAWNEE-BURCHARD ASSOCIATION - 1,555,300 acres WYMORE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. PAWNEE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, loamy soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. BURCHARD: Very deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils with clayey subsoils on uplands.

29. CRETE-MAYBERRY-BURCHARD ASSOCIATION - 436,000 acres CRETE: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. MAYBERRY: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, loamy soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. BURCHARD: Very deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils with clayey subsoils on uplands.

43. SHARPSBURG-PAWNEE-STEINAUER ASSOCIATION - 339,300 acres SHARPSBURG: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. PAWNEE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well- drained, loamy soils with clayey subsoils on uplands. STEINAUER: Very deep, strongly sloping to steep, excessively drained, loamy soils on uplands.

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SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN SANDSTONE, SILTSTONE, LIMESTONE AND SHALE 9. BUSHER-SARBEN-TASSEL ASSOCIATION - 933,900 acres BUSHER: Deep, gently sloping to steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material and weathered sandstone on uplands. SARBEN: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material on uplands. TASSEL: Shallow, nearly level to steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands.

10. ROSEBUD-ALLIANCE-CANYON ASSOCIATION - 894,000 acres ROSEBUD: Moderately deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. ALLIANCE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and weathered sandstone on uplands. CANYON: Shallow, nearly level to steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands.

22. TASSEL-BUSHER-ROCK OUTCROP ASSOCIATION - 578,100 acres TASSEL: Shallow, strongly sloping to very steep, somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. BUSHER: Deep, strongly sloping to steep, well- to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in eolian material and weathered sandstone on uplands. ROCK OUTCROP: Very shallow, very steep, excessively drained, weathered sandstone on uplands.

34. LABU-BRISTOW-SANSARC ASSOCIATION - 406,700 acres LABU: Moderately deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands. BRISTOW: Shallow, gently sloping to very steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands. SANSARC: Shallow, gently sloping to very steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands.

44. PIERRE-SAMSIL-KYLE ASSOCIATION - 316,000 acres PIERRE: Moderately deep, nearly level to steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands. SAMSIL: Shallow, nearly level to steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands. KYLE: Very deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, clayey soils formed in weathered shale on uplands.

SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN SANDSTONE, SILTSTONE, LIMESTONE AND SHALE 46. CANYON-ALLIANCE-ROSEBUD ASSOCIATION - 279,000 acres CANYON: Shallow, gently sloping to steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. ALLIANCE: Deep, gently to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands. ROSEBUD: Moderately deep, gently to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian materials on uplands.

48. TASSEL-MCKELVIE-ROCK OUTCROP ASSOCIATION - 270,500 acres TASSEL: Shallow, moderately steep to very steep, somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. MCKELVIE: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand and weathered sandstone on uplands. ROCK OUTCROP: Very shallow, very steep, excessively drained, weathered sandstone on uplands.

59. BUFTON-ORELLA-NORREST ASSOCIATION - 220,300 acres

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BUFTON: Deep, nearly level to sleep, well-drained, silty soils formed in shale and clayey sediments on uplands and terraces. ORELLA: Shallow, nearly level to steep, well-drained, clayey soils formed in shale and clayey sediments on uplands. NORREST: Moderately deep, nearly level to steep, well- drained, silty soils formed in shale and clayey sediments on uplands.

62. CANYON-BRIDGET- ASSOCIATION - 212,400 acres CANYON: Shallow, gently sloping to steep, well-to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. BRIDGET: Very deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in loamy sediments on terraces and foot slopes. OGLALA: Deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands.

64. CANYON-ROSEBUD-ROCK OUTCROP ASSOCIATION - 196,400 acres CANYON: Shallow, gently sloping to steep, well- to somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian material on uplands. ROSEBUD: Moderately deep, gently to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian materials on uplands. ROCK OUTCROP: Very shallow, very steep, excessively drained, weathered sandstone on uplands.

73. BRUNSWICK-PAKA-SIMEON ASSOCIATION - 106,200 acres BRUNSWICK: Moderately deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and eolian materials on uplands. PAKA: Deep, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, silty soils formed in weathered siltstone and eolian materials on uplands. SIMEON: Deep, nearly level to steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in sandy sediments on uplands.

78. KIPSON-SOGN-WYMORE ASSOCIATION - 85,200 acres KIPSON: Shallow and very shallow, gently sloping to steep, somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered shale on uplands. SOGN: Shallow and very shallow, moderately steep to steep, somewhat excessively drained, loamy soils formed in weathered limestone on uplands. WYMORE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, moderately well-drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands.

79. LANCASTER-BENFIELD-CRETE ASSOCIATION - 50,200 acres LANCASTER: Moderately deep, gently sloping to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in weathered sandstone and shale on uplands. BENFIELD: Moderately deep, gently sloping to steep, well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils formed in weathered shale and loess on uplands. CRETE: Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils with clayey subsoils formed in loess on uplands.

SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN ALLUVIUM OR LOESS ON STREAM TERRACES AND BOTTOMLANDS

13. TRIPP-MITCHELL-ALICE ASSOCIATION - 760,000 acres TRIPP: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. MITCHELL: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in colluvium and alluvium on stream terraces. ALICE: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in eolian sand on stream terraces.

30. HORD-COZAD-BOEL ASSOCIATION - 436,300 acres HORD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. COZAD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess

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and alluvium on stream terraces. BOEL: Deep, nearly level, somewhat poorly drained, sandy soils formed in alluvium on bottomlands.

35. COZAD-HORD ASSOCIATION - 401,400 acres COZAD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces and foot slopes. HORD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces and foot slopes.

41. BRIDGET-TRIPP-McCOOK ASSOCIATION - 346.800 acres BRIDGET: Deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in colluvium and loess on foot slopes and stream terraces. TRIPP: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. McCOOK: Deep, nearly level, sloping, well- drained, silty soils formed in alluvium on bottomlands.

45. HORD-McCOOK-INAVALE ASSOCIATION - 283,800 acres HORD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. McCOOK: Deep, nearly level, well-drained, silty soils formed in alluvium on bottomlands. INAVALE: Deep, gently to strongly sloping, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in alluvium on stream terraces and bottomlands.

58. HORD-HALL ASSOCIATION - 225,000 acres HORD: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. HALL: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained, silty soils formed in loess and alluvium on stream terraces. SOILS FORMED DOMINANTLY IN SANDY AND LOAMY MATERIALS UNDERLAIN BY COARSE SAND AND GRAVEL

23. JANSEN-O‘NEILL-MEADIN ASSOCIATION - 554,600 acres JANSEN: Moderately deep over sand and gravel, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in loamy sediments over sand and gravel on uplands. O’NEILL: Moderately deep over sand and gravel, nearly level to moderately steep, well-drained, loamy soils formed in loamy sediments over sand and gravel on uplands. MEADIN: Shallow over sand and gravel, nearly level to moderately steep, excessively drained, sandy soils formed in sandy sediments over sand and gravel on uplands.

65. DIX-ALTVAN-COLBY ASSOCIATION - 184,700 acres DIX: Shallow over gravelly sand, nearly level to steep, excessively drained, loamy soils formed in sandy and gravelly sediments on uplands and terraces. ALTVAN: Moderately deep over gravelly sand, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, loamy soils formed in loamy sediments over sand and gravel on uplands and terraces. COLBY: Deep, gently sloping to steep, well-and excessively drained, silty soils formed in loess on uplands.

71. DUNDAY-PIVOT ASSOCIATION - 123,100 acres DUNDAY: Deep, nearly level to gently sloping, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand on uplands. PIVOT: Moderately deep over sand and gravel, nearly level to gently sloping, somewhat excessively drained, sandy soils formed in eolian sand over sand and gravel on terraces.

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