'I RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT (RC&D) I I PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE I N-EB s Agenda Item: 7.C. Resoume Consewah and Development (Rc(L0) Cound LOESS HILLS RC&D 2002 HIGHLIGHTS REPORT NEBRASKA LOESS HILLS RC&D 408 North Oakland Avenue Oakland NE 68045 Phone # (402)685-5175 Fax #(402)685-5172 Email: kent.neumann@,ne.usda.gov AREA DESCRIPTION The Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D consists of six counties - Burt, Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Thurston, and Washington - encompassing 1,671,808 acres h east central and northeastern Nebraska. The Omaha and Winnebago Indian Reservations occupy all of Thurston County and small portions of Burt and Cuming Counties. The area is predominately rural with a population of 100,358(2000 U.S. Census). About two-thirds of area residents live in 38 communities. The largest communities are: Fremont - 25,174; South Sioux City - 11,925; and Blah - 7,512. The median size community in the area is 693. The area hosts 37,823 households. On January 4,2001, the Secretary of Agriculture authorized the Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D. The five major areas identified as priorities by the RC&D Council include: 1) Improve infrastructure and community resources 2) Increase per capita income to a living wage level and create job opportunities for area residents 3) Increase tourism promotion and recreation development 4) Improve solid waste management 5) Reduce erosion and improve air quality and water resources VISION People working actively and in cooperation to strengthen rural communities. MISSION Manage, develop, and conserve natural and human resources for present and future generations. Board of Directors Jon Bailey, President Kathy Rhea, V. Pres. Dick Leitschuck, SRreas Center for Rural Affairs Washington County At Large PO Box 406 19944 Co Road P30 523 E 18' St Walthill NE 68067 Arlington NE 68002 S Sioux City NE 68776 Ph#(402)846-5428 Ph#(402)478-4365 Ph#(402)494-370 1 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Don Kreikemeier Mike Williams Clinton VonSeggem cuming county Dodge County At Large 309 E Sherman St 130 E loa 912 Logan St Westpoint NE 68788 NorthBend NE 68649 Scribner NE 68057 Ph#(402)372-5296 Ph##(402)652-3675 Ph#(402)664-3 3 90 [email protected] Elden Wesely Dick Sheets Lynda Cruickshank Lower Elkhorn NRD Burt County At Large 731 Co Road5 324 South 13&St 459 Hwy 35 Oakland NE 68045 Tekamah NE 68061 DakotaCity bIl3 68731 Ph#(402)685-5956 Ph#(402)374-1181 Ph#(402)987-0314 [email protected] lcruick@>.willinet.net Dan Boeshart Amen Sheridan Regina Littlebeaver City of Emerson Omaha Tribe Winnebago Tribe 407 Nebraska St PO Box 245 PO Box 687 Emerson NE 68733 Walthill NE 68067 Winnebago NE 68071 Ph#(402)6 95-2474 Ph#(402)846-5656 Ph#(402)878 -2626 [email protected] [email protected] Mark Casey Fred Denker Tom Mountford Thurston County Dakota County Lower Platte North NRD PO Box G 1517 26O'St POBox 126 Pender NE 68047 Emerson NE 68733 Wahoo NE 68066 Ph#(402)385-2535 Ph(402)695-2279 Ph#(402)443-4675 countyroacis@ioebraskacom Jim Hum vacant Barb Nichols SIMPCO City of South Sioux City Papio-Missouri River NRD 507 7'Street POBox447 1615 1"Ave 6206 South 141"Street SiouxCity IA 51101 South Sioux City NE 68776 Omaha NE 68137 Ph#(7 12)279-6286 Ph#(402)494-7534 Ph#(402)896-1171 [email protected] [email protected] Staff Kent Neumann Laurie Petersen Coordinator Program Support Assistant e-mail: kent .neumann@ne. usda. gov e-mail: laurie. [email protected]. gov Shelly Tislerics Wayne Jarvill AmeriCorps Volunteer Experience Works Volunteer e-mail: [email protected]. gov Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D 408 North Oakland Avenue Oakland NE 68045 Ph##(402)685-5175 F=#(402)685-5172 + 1,245 hours were donated by Council Members in '02. + 3,647 hours were donated by volunteers in '02. + 11 Board of Directors and Council meetings were held + 19 projects were completed in '02. + 43 projects are ongoing. + 3 projects are being planned. + 134 partners were worked with in '02. 'zhe U.S. -t of Agridhm (USDA) proltiits discrimination in all it's programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, digion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientalion, or marital or family status. (Not all proltiited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for ammmication of prominformation pde, large print, audiotape, et.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (Voice and TDD). To File a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, %tor, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten F3uildhg, 1400 Independence Averme, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal oppoautlity provider and emplopr. 3 2002 Project Highlights Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway Website united States Highway 75 was designated a scenic byway in the spring of 2001. This highway rwls north and south near the Missouri River. The part of Highway 75 that runs fiom South Sioux City, NE to Nashville, ME is known as the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway. The official website for the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway is located at www.lewisandclarkscenicbyway.com. This website was designed by Kelli Paulson with EZ Net Solutions of Tekamah and launched on June 1,2002. Development of Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway website was made possible by a Nebraska Division of Tourism Marketing grant administered by the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce. Scenic Syway The Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway website includes a calendar of events and links to local attractions and services. Partners: + Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway Lewis & Scenic Bvwav Website + EZNetSolutions Clark + Blair Area Chamber of Commerce Local $298.00 + Fort Atkinson State Historical Park State $1,599.00 + BurtCountyMuseum Federal $107.00 South Sioux City Visitors and Convention RC&D $163.00 + $2,167.00 Bureau + Snitily-carr AiKiRuti Healing Garden The Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D is providing technical assistance to a committee overseeing development of the muti Healing Garden. One of the needs for the Garden is to locate and establish plants that have been identified as being culturally and historically important to the Winnebago Tribe. The RC&D received seed from NRCS Plant Materials Center in Manhattan, Kansas. The Garden will be open to the general public during designated hours. An educational booklet will guide visitors through the garden, provide Tribal history, and explain how plants were historically used. Phase two of the project involves construction of a Cultural LearningNisitor’ s Center. This facility will help preserve the Winnebago language and cultural traditions. It will be an important teaching facility for AiICiRuti staff and volunteers joined by representatives of the Loess Hills RC&D far earth breaking cerexnonies and “casting of seeds.” Indians and non-Indians alike, for those visiting the unique- healing garden. It will also serve as an important tool in the treatment of alcoholism The cultural Learning Center is designed in the traditional manner with an actual fireplace in the middle of a circular room. From this center, is creation and leading away from it are the four roads of life: North, South, East, and West. Visitors to the center will sit around this fire, on the floor, and meet with a tribal member that can share the knowledge of how plants in the healing garden were used. Competitive bids have not been let yet, but total construction costs are expected to be over $700,000 with completion of the project in the autumn of 2003 or spring of 2004 - in time for the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial observation. Partners: AiKiRuti Nee Shoch Ha Chee AiKiRuti Healing Garden Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Local $1,483.00 USDA Rural Development State $0.00 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Federal $2,206.90 Service RC&D $320.30 Northeast Nebraska RC&D $4,010.20 State Senator Matt Comealy U.S. Senator Ben Nelson NRCS contributed $85.00 Nebraska Department of Economic worth of grass seed. Development Used Printer and Toner Cartridge Recycling Program Every year over 300,000,000 cartridges are thrown away. The plastic, aluminum, foam, steel, and rubber materials in laser cartridges last more than 1,000 years before breaking down. Recycling ink and toner cartridges reduces the amount of non-biodegradable plastic in landfills and using recycled inkjet cartridges can save the consumer 30% to 50% off cost. we recognize the environmental benefits of collecting and recycling these spent ink and toner cartridges. Also, for most used cartridges there is a monetary incentive provided by the cartridge recyclers. March 2002, the Loess Hills RC&D become a collection site for used ink and toner cartridges. There have been a significant number turned in by local residents and businesses. Used Printer and Toner CartridPe Recvclin~Promam Partners: Local $1,063.00 + Americorps State $0.00 + Nebraska USDA-NRCS Federal $860.00 RC&D $375.00 $2,298.00 Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway Kickoff Party A kickoff party was held for the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway on the evening of Tuesday June 4,2002 at Pop-n-Doc’s Restaurant and Marina in Decatur, NE. Over 200 people came to partake in the food and festivities some coming from as far away as Tanzania, Afiica and Stockholm, Sweden. The event included drummers from the Omaha Tribe, an awards ceremony for the Folklore contest and Tribal Vice Chairman, Valentine Parker, conducted a traditional Cedaring ceremony. The “Friends of Discovery” from Onawa, IA came in period costume. The kickoff party also featured a lecture presentation by Dr. Hal Sterns a noted authority on Lewis & Clark.