Middle Republican NRD

District Conservationist Biographical Sketch

Doug Whisenhunt
District Conservationist
Middle Republican NRD

Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science from University of Nebraska - Lincoln in Range Management. 

Previous experience: Ranchhand; Elk, antelope, and deer hunting guide (Wyoming & New Mexico); and PRCA bull rider.  Seasonal Wildland Fire Fighter and Forestry Technician with the US Forest Service in Wyoming & New Mexico.  Range Management Specialist and Wildland Fire Fighter with the Bureau of Land Management in Elko, Nevada.  Director of Western Nebraska Projects for The Nature Conservancy, North Platte,  Nebraska.  Interests: My kids (3), hunting, fishing, horses, other sports.

Words to live by: "Finish strong."

Resource Needs and Concerns

The Middle Republican Natural Resources District consists of Frontier, Red Willow, Hitchcock, Hayes, and the Southern third of Lincoln Counties. The Middle Republican covers about 2.2 million acres, with approximately a 1.1 million acre range and 600,000 acre dry cropland, 300,000 acres irrigated cropland with the remainder in roads and other land uses. There are 3059 registered irrigation wells within the district.

Resource Concerns within the District:

• Water Quantity and Quality
  
  The NRCS and the NRD are working with producers to implement a metering program on all irrigation wells within the District by 2004. This is an important issue within the Republican River Basin because of the lawsuit filed by Kansas over water use in the Republican River Basin. The NRD has funded an additional NRCS staff position to provide assistance to irrigators in irrigation water, and nutrient and pesticide management. The NRD has three main goes in respect to ground water management:
  
  1. To maintain a sufficient ground water supply for future use.
  2. To protect the present ground water quality.
  3. To meet compliance requirements of the 1943 Republican River Compact.
   
• Soil Erosion
  Erosion Control practices like terraces, buffer strips, and conservation tillage are promoted as best management practices. The Conservation Reserve Program has been used to seed high erodible cropland back to grass. The NRCS provides design, layout, and technical specifications of conservation practices for producers applying these practices.

• Grazing Lands
  Planned grazing systems and proper grazing use, including livestock water developments and cross fencing are promoted as best management practices on rangeland. The NRCS provides design, layout and technical specifications of conservation practices for producers applying these practices.

• Flood Control
  There are 5 PL-566 Watershed Projects within the District. The Dry Creek Pilot and Dry Creek South watersheds are completed and the Upper Medicine Creek, Lower Medicine Creek, and Blackwood Creek Watersheds are in progress. There are 34 completed structures within these watersheds.
• Tree Planting
  The district and NRCS have an active tree planting program. Trees and shrubs are incorporated into conservation plans for erosion control, livestock and farmstead protection, and wildlife habitat enhancement.

Primary programs and services

In addition to technical assistance, some cost sharing assistance is available through the following programs:

• Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program (NSWCP)
• Middle Republican Local Program
• Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP)
• Stewardship Incentive Program (SIP)
• Buffer Strip Initiative and the Water Well Decommissioning fund