As part of a 2022 Collaborative Conservation Cooperative Agreement the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Partnership was awarded funding to continue the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) training events that happened in 2021 and 2022. As part of th3 2024 training the ACEP Leadership Team held a 2½ day training that was focused on the following elements:

Day 1 (Full day classroom)

Welcome- Missy Baier

Introductions/Icebreaker 

National Programmatic Overview 

• • • NRCS Overview of the new organizational structure of the Nebraska ACEP program
    • New Nebraska ACEP Structure– Roger Yerdon
      • • Introduction to staff and organizational structure
        • Review of the national benchmarks
        • Overview of the goals of the wetlands to achieve programmatic objectives.
        • Statewide metrics and goals (derived from national benchmarks)
        • Myth Buster Yerdon
        • Overview of the role partners play in helping with the program.
    • Future direction

State Programmatic Overview

• • • Nebraska ACEP 101 – How do we scale down and maximize opportunities in our state
      • • Nebraska specific ACEP Overview
          • • • Outreach, Application Process, Necessary documentation, and Timeline
        • Pre-site visit: Landscape/GIS assessment
          • • • Alterations to the wetland and to the watershed around the wetland
        • Pre-Site visit: Engineering
          • • • LiDAR, Floodplain analysis, Jurisdictional analysis, Permitting evaluation
        • Biological Guidance - (WRCG introduction)
          • • • Desired goals by complex - Fund pool goals and newly closed acreage goals
              • Ecological Site Description – State and Transition Model
        • On-Site Engineering Assessment
          • • • Topographic survey and controlling elevations
        • Soils Assessment
        • On-Site Ecological Assessment
          • • • Current vegetation
              • Desired potential habitat
              • Priority wetland dependent species
              • Restoration potential with existing watershed condition
              • Watershed restoration opportunities as part of wetland restoration
              • Desired buffer characteristics - Management opportunities/limitations
              • Needed infrastructure to facilitate future management
                • • Grazing - Moist soil management
    • Concept plan review and feedback
      • • • • • Final plan – Restoration techniques, Standards and specification, Quantities
              • Construction Management - Hiring contractor, Staking, Inspection, Payment
    • Evaluation of Success and Future Direction
      • • • • • Easement monitoring
                • • Annual timeline
                  • Programmatic requirements
                  • Partner assistance (RWBJV contract)
                  • Infractions
                  • Process to address
                  • Landowner implications
      • Management
        • • • • Adaptive easement management based on conditions observed during monitoring.
              • Determine desired vegetation community.
              • Revisit management vision with landowner to ensure treatment is understood, supported, and sustainable.
              • Identify desired treatment within landowner or partner capacity.
              • Compatible Use Authorization (CUA)
              • Future monitoring to complete feedback loop.

Day 2 (full day field) - Survey Results

Playa site visits (Don Cox, Happold, Marsh, and Brummond)

• • • Site visit to new application - Discussion on resources collected/opportunities for restoration.
    • Site Route - short packet
    • Site Route - compiled packet
    • Tour previously restored site.
      • • • • • What were the considerations?
              • What went well?
              • What could be improved?
    • Mobile monitoring application demonstration

Platte River site (Randy Chinn site by Silver Creek)

• • • Site visit to new application - Discussion on resources collected/opportunities for restoration.
    • Tour previously restored site.
      • • • • • What were the considerations?
              • What went well?
              • What could be improved?

Day 3 (Half Day Classroom)

Partner Wetland Project Overview

• • • Each partner brings their best project and how it can complement, augment, or be an alternative to ACEP.
      • • • • • Process
              • Agreement type
              • Habitat priorities
              • Geographic focus
              • Level of cost-share
              • Envisioned opportunities
    • Partners For Wildlife
    • Partner Wetland Programs

Wetland Restoration Criteria Guidelines

• • • Input on ways the WRCG could be improved based on the input from the training and observations from the field trip.
    • Focus would be comments on the Rainwater Basin and Central Platte River since those sites were the ones visited.