Nebraska PFW Program Annual Narrative, FY 2017 Nebraska PFW program Focus Areas. USFWS map. Introduction and Overview NE PFW and our partners provided Goal I. Conserve Habitat both technical and financial The Nebraska Partners for Fish and assistance to restore, enhance, During the past year, the NE PFW Wildlife (NE PFW) program had a manage, and conserve habitat program maintained its focus on very productive year this past fiscal throughout Nebraska for federal trust habitat restoration projects that year (FY 2017). FY 2017 was a species including national, regional, benefited federal trust species, success thanks to: (1) the 63 and local priority species. including federally listed species, additional private landowners who migratory waterbirds, grassland voluntarily entered into landowner FY 2017 is the first year of the PFW nesting birds, monarch butterflies and agreements with the Service, (2) our Mountain-Prairie Region Strategic other pollinator species. The NE diverse group of conservation Plan, 2017–2021 and during this past PFW program also focused its efforts partners, and (3) to the dedicated NE year, the NE PFW program made on restoring wetland, riverine, PFW field biologists who have a excellent progress towards meeting riparian, and upland habitats passion for working with landowners our stepped down targets for the throughout the state, with the highest to develop win-win opportunities to following five Regional PFW goals: priority given to projects located in restore habitat on private lands. (1) Conserve Habitat; (2) Broaden the following seven conservation The success of the NE PFW is a and Strengthen Partnerships; (3) Focus Areas identified in the PFW result of numerous grass root Improve Information Sharing and 2017–2021 Strategic Plan: (1) partnerships that have been developed Communication; (3) Enhance Our Rainwater Basin, (2) Central Platte over the years that have been built on Workforce; and (5) Increase River, (3) Sandhills, (4) North Platte the cornerstones of the PFW program Accountability. The NE PFW River, (5) Loess Canyons (6) Eastern - Trust, Respect, Honesty, Flexibility, program is well on its way to meeting Tallgrass Prairies, and (7) Central Friendship, and Two-way or exceeding its five-year targets for Loess Hills and Loup Rivers. Communication. This past year, the the FY 2017–2021 time period. 25 Nebraska PFW Program Annual Narrative, FY 2017 Fifty-nine (59) habitat projects were delivery in ecosystems or watersheds without their interest and desire to completed during FY 2017. Of the where our efforts accomplished the conserve and restore habitat on their 59 projects completed, 56 projects greatest biological benefits per lands for fish and wildlife while (95%) were in conservation focus conservation dollar expended and on sustaining profitable farming and areas identified in the PFW 2017– restoring and maintaining the ranching. 2021 Strategic Plan. Two (2) projects functionality of natural communities that were funded outside of and ecological systems. The following table shows FY 2017 Nebraska’s focus areas were located habitat accomplishments, 5-year adjacent to the Lower Niobrara River Nebraska’s private landowners targets, and the percentages of the 5- and the other one (1) occurred in a continue to be our most important year targets that have been completed Nebraska biologically unique partner and none of the 59 habitat through year 1 for all of Nebraska’s landscape (Wildcat Hills). The NE projects completed this past year conservation focus areas combined. PFW program continued to focus its could have been accomplished Nebraska Partners for Fish and Wildlife FY 2017 Habitat Accomplishments Habitat Type FY 2017 Total FY 2017–2021 FY 2017–2021 Percent (restored/enhanced/established) Cumulative Total Target Complete Upland acres 31,469 31,469 41,750 75 % Wetland acres 1,675 1,675 7,250 23 % Riparian/river miles 10.5 10.5 30 35 % Riverine sloughs miles 2.4 2.4 18 13 % Watershed enhancements 19 pits 19 pits 30 pits 63 % (# pits filled) Fish passage structures 10 10 n/a n/a Nebraska PFW riverine slough restoration project completed along the North Platte River in Keith County, Nebraska. Photo by Dominic Barrett, USFWS. 26 Nebraska PFW Program Annual Narrative, FY 2017 PFW private lands biologist and other partners meeting with landowners and potential contractors on Sandhills project site. Note the invasion of Eastern red cedars throughout the grassland. Photo by Kenny Dinan, USFWS. Goal II. Broaden and Strengthen Environments, Prairie Plains actively participated in meetings, Partnerships Resource Institute, and the Sandhills workshops, site visits, and Task Force (STF). participated on the State Technical Developing and maintaining Committee and WREP, ACEP, EQIP, partnerships with Nebraska’s farmers, Numerous informal partnerships are and WHIP workgroups. ranchers, and other private also in place and were critical to the landowners continues to be a main successful implementation of the NE In addition, the Intra-Service objective of NE PFW staff. This past PFW program this past year. The partnerships between the NE PFW year, staff sought out opportunities to Nebraska Game and Parks program and the NE ES Field Office, build new partnerships with private Commission (NGPC) and USDA- RWB Joint Venture (RWBJV), landowners and other groups, NRCS are major partners in the RWB-WMD, and the Sandhills agencies, and organizations. NE conservation of habitat on private Refuge offices contributed PFW staff worked collaboratively lands in Nebraska. A large significantly toward our ability to with its partners and developed 63 percentage of all NE PFW projects successfully delivery habitat new partnership agreements with are jointly funded by the Service and conservation on private lands landowners to accomplish mutually the NGPC. The NGPC is a major throughout Nebraska this past year. beneficial projects that will contribute partner in the conservation of habitat The success of the NE PFW program towards habitat and technical on private lands throughout Nebraska. is a result of our ability to partner assistance targets identified in the with private landowners and our PFW 2017–2021 Strategic Plan. The USDA-NRCS also provided conservation partners to accomplish valuable technical assistance to the projects that would not be possible Eleven (11) formal partnership NE PFW program this past year. For through the PFW program alone. agreements are also in place with example, USDA-NRCS staff assisted Nebraska’s private landowners and conservation groups and other private in planning, designing, and our partners are critical to the organizations to restore and enhance construction oversight on multiple successful implementation of NE fish and wildlife habitat in priority large scale projects in the Sandhills. PFW. landscapes throughout Nebraska. The NE PFW program also provided Currently, the NE PFW program has a significant level of technical One example of a larger, landscape formal partnership agreements with assistance towards the level, multiple partner, the following conservation partners: implementation of USDA-NRCS initiative/partnership that the NE Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, Ducks programs this past year, as well. NE PFW staff took an active role in this Unlimited (DU), Nebraska PFW staff participated on seven past year included the Sandhills Community Foundation, Nebraska bio/engineering teams that have been Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative Land Trust, Northern Prairie Land established to assist in the delivery of (WLFW). During FY 2017, NE PFW Trust, Pheasants Forever (PF), Platte Wetland Reserve Enhancement staff, along with staff from NGPC, River Trust, Platte River Basin Program (WREP). NE PFW staff PF, RWBJV, and the STF worked 27 Nebraska PFW Program Annual Narrative, FY 2017 with NRCS to submit a proposal for successful implementation of the selection, script, dialog and the WLFW Initiative, through PFW program throughout Nebraska. coordinating with other conservation NRCS’s EQIP to promote habitat groups in the production of these restoration for greater-prairie chicken, Goal III. Improve Information films. These films will provide federally listed American burying Sharing and Communication education and outreach to a broad beetle and numerous other grassland national and worldwide audience on birds and pollinator species (e.g., An overarching objective of the NE the significance of the central Platte monarch and regal fritillary PFW program is to maintain and River and other Nebraska river butterflies) in the eastern Sandhills. improve information sharing and systems and the spectacle of the honest two-way communication with spring migration in Nebraska. Eastern red cedars are invading our internal and external partners. Nebraska’s native prairies and Information sharing and NE PFW staff in conjunction with the negatively impacting both wildlife communication is an essential part of NGPC organized and hosted a and the local ranching community. habitat conservation and NE PFW wetland restoration and enhancement The proposal was selected for staff made increasing awareness of field tour for the Playa Lakes Joint funding, at which point PFW staff, the PFW program and improving Venture Management Board along along with other partner biologists, communication with both internal and the North Platte River and Southwest were heavily involved in developing external partners a priority during this Playa wetland complexes. The day the ranking criteria for evaluating past year. NE PFW