USDA Radio Talks to Nebraska Landowners

(from left) Brenda Curtis, Don Doty, and Tom Tobin discuss the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program. Tobin is enrolling 301 acres in WREP that includes wildlife food plots, developing shallow water habitat and lowering of revetments (dikes) to create habitat and sandbars along the river for Pallid Sturgeon, Piping Plover and Least Tern which are on the threatened or endangered species list. (photo by Pat McGrane)

NRCS public affairs specialist Pat McGrane, wetlands assistance team leader Don Doty, and senior USDA radio reporter Brenda Curtis toured eastern Nebraska gathering news for USDA Radio News Line wetland stories. Curtis interviewed several landowners including Tom Tobin, a Burt County landowner, who’s enrolling 301 acres into the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program. The Tobin site is part of a project involving four landowners restoring wetlands totaling 758 acres of wildlife habitat restoration and 83 acres of shallow water habitat along the Missouri River.

She also interviewed Ernie Glup, another Burt County landowner, who is enrolling 76 acres into the Wetlands Reserve Program and Tony Provos, Omaha Indian Council natural resources committee chair, who discussed NRCS assistance for the wetland goals of the tribe, buffalo grazing plans, and development of a community college on the reservation offering a major in natural resources.  John Blackhawk, Winnebago Indian Tribal Chairman, was also interviewed about NRCS assistance for buffalo grazing and development of a highway roadside turnout overlooking the grazing land. The Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D is assisting in the roadside turnout project.

Winding up her Nebraska visit, Curtis interviewed Al Mittan, PrairieLand RC&D coordinator and Rod Wilke, Cooperative Research, Education and Extension Service educator about the soil conservation efforts underway in the Shell Creek watershed. Ralph Pieke, co-chair of the Shell Creek watershed citizen committee and Carmen Eiker, area farmer told about their interest in seeing more soil erosion control.

These stories are available via the on-line USDA news service at the radio/TV link from their newsroom page.  Search the Daily Radio News Line archives for the story titled, Tons of Soil Lost on Nebraska Field, that aired Tuesday, October, 4, 2005.
Your contact is Pat McGrane at 402-437-5328.