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Lower Republican NRD

Image of Lower Republican NRD coverage area

Office Information

 
Name Address Phone Numbers
Nick Simonson
District Conservationist
 		 707 North Kennedy
P.O. Box 410
Alma, NE 68920-0410		 Phone: (308) 928-2089
Fax: (308) 928-3159
 


 

  • District Conservationist Biographical Sketch
  • Resource Needs and Concerns
  • NRCS Role in addressing the LRNRD and Local work group Priorities
  • Primary Programs and Services
  • Republican Tribs EQIP Priority Area

    Nick Simonson
    Photo by William Hager

    District Conservationist Biographical Sketch

    I was raised on a ranch between Seneca and Brownlee, in the Sandhills of Nebraska.

    I graduated from Mullen High School in 1999.

    I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Rangeland Management in 2003 from Chadron State College.

    I began my career with NRCS as a Student Trainee in 2002. During this time I was stationed in Rushville, Chadron, and O'Neill.

    Upon graduation I accepted a position as a Range Management Specialist in the Chadron Field Office.

    In 2004, I transferred to the Elwood Field Office as the Resource Conservationist.

    In 2007 I was selected as the District Conservationist for the Lower Republican NRD. This position is based out of the Alma Field Office and covers the counties of Franklin, Furnas, Harlan, and Webster.
    Resource Needs and Concerns

    A diversity of resource needs and concerns exist and have been identified by local leaders within the Lower Republican Natural Resources District (LRNRD). These concerns include:

    • Water quality concerns associated with high nitrates levels in the groundwater
    • Water quantity
    • Soil erosion control on cropland
    • Grazingland health
    • Quality and quantity of wildlife
    • Forestry resources in the district
    • Irrigation systems
    NRCS Role in addressing the LRNRD and Local work group Priorities

    Priorities are divided between irrigation water management, soil erosion control, and grazingland health issues.

    • Groundwater nitrate level reduction
    • Soil erosion control on cropland
    • Improving grazingland health
    • Improving the quality and quantity of wildlife habitat in the LRNRD

    NRCS is the primary source of technical assistance to address the priorities identified by the LRNRD Board of Directors and the Local Work Group.
    Primary Programs and Services

    NRCS utilizes the following programs on a routine basis to address the resource concerns and needs identified by the LRNRD Board of Directors and the Local Work Group:

    • EQIP, CRP, NSWCP, WILD NEBRASKA and various local LRNRD programs
    Republican Tribs EQIP Priority Area

    The project area is about 519,500 acres in size and is located in Gosper, Furnas, Phelps, and Harlan Counties. Furnas and Harlan Counties are located in the LRNRD. The land use is 50% grazingland, 40% dry cropland, and 10% irrigated cropland. The primary resource concerns are grazingland health, erosion control on dry cropland and irrigation and nutrient management on irrigated cropland. The objective of this project is to improve water quality delivered to the Republican River. This project is a coordinated effort to provide incentive payments, cost share incentive, educational and technical assistance to producers who implement or install conservation practices. This will result in reduced soil erosion, improved grazingland health, reduced flooding, and reduced nitrate and pesticide loads in the surface waters. 

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