August Board Meeting: 2027 Levy & V-TAPS Program Approved

The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) Board of Directors approved transitioning from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s current Nitrogen Management certification test to the V-TAPS educational program for producers in Phases II and III of the CPNRD Groundwater Quality Management Program at their August meeting. Instead of completing the current Nitrogen Management test every four years, producers will be required to attend an in-person V-TAPS program once every four years.

The change is intended to provide producers with a more interactive educational experience focused on making nitrogen management decisions and evaluating how those decisions affect crop production, profitability and resource use. With up to 250 producers required to complete the four-year nitrogen management requirement each year, CPNRD will coordinate four to five V-TAPS dates and locations for those who are due to complete the requirement for the 2027 crop season.

AGENDA/ACTION ITEMS

Property Tax Request and Levy Approved
Following a public hearing, the CPNRD Board approved the property tax request and levy for fiscal year 2026/2027. The district’s total property valuation, as certified by the 11 county assessors within the CPNRD, is $26.28 billion, an increase of 6.82% from the previous year. The property tax request was set at $5,347,823.51, slightly below last year’s request of $5,347,828.91. With the increase in valuation and slightly lower tax request, the levy decreased from 0.021738 last year to 0.020350 for 2026/2027. The $23.26 total operating budget of $23.26 million was approved in July a 26.87% decrease from the 2025/2026 operating budget of $31.8 million.

For a home valued at $200,000, the CPNRD portion of the property tax would be approximately $40.70. Property tax revenue supports CPNRD programs and projects including flood reduction, water quality and quantity management, soil health, conservation cost-share programs, forestry, land management, recreation and natural resources education. CPNRD serves all of Dawson County and portions of Buffalo, Custer, Frontier, Hall, Hamilton, Howard, Merrick, Nance, Platte and Polk counties.

Precision Conservation Management Program
Darren Cudaback, Precision Conservation Specialist, reported on the Precision Conservation Management (PCM) Program, which includes 83 cooperators in the Gothenburg area covering 141,907 acres. The program has maintained a 100% cooperator retention rate. Cudaback shared the following results for irrigated fields:

• Corn tillage: Strip-till averaged 220 bushels/acre with an operator and land return of $180/acre, compared to 205 bushels and $149/acre for no-till.
• Nitrogen timing: Corn with mostly pre-plant nitrogen applications averaged 228 bushels/acre and a $230/acre return. Mostly sidedress applications averaged 219 bushels and a $156 return, while a 50% pre-plant/50% sidedress approach averaged 209 bushels and a $140 return.
• Cover crops: Corn with cover crops averaged 221 bushels/acre with a $160 return, compared to 218 bushels and a $179 return without cover crops.
• Soybean tillage: Strip-till soybeans averaged 82 bushels/acre with a $423/acre return, compared to 77 bushels and $413/acre for no-till.

Because the number of acres represented varies among the practices, the results provide a comparison of participating PCM fields rather than a controlled, side-by-side evaluation.

Office and Education Center
The Board approved two change orders from Rogge General Contractors for CPNRD’s new office and education center. Change Order No. 9, totaling $88,569, includes construction of a drainage system for the observation deck and modifications related to the septic system. Change Order No. 10, totaling $39,579, includes adjusting the slope and constructing a retaining wall on the west side of the building to address erosion caused by rainfall. Construction of the new facility is approximately 97% complete.

ONE RED Program
The Water Quality Committee discussed Nebraska’s ONE RED (Opportunity for Nebraska: Reducing Emissions and Decarbonization) Ag Data Bank and Grants Program and potential benefits for producers within the CPNRD. The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE) is developing and funding the voluntary program, which will provide incentives to producers for participating in a secure agricultural data bank and for adopting practices and technologies that improve nitrogen and water management, soil health and overall farm efficiency.

Producers who enroll in the Ag Data Bank will provide farm management information through an approved third-party service provider and receive an incentive for participating. Individual producer information will remain with the third-party provider, with data provided to DWEE only in an aggregated format by county. This approach allows producers to participate in the program and receive incentives without their individual farm information being provided directly to DWEE. DWEE will provide funding to Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts to administer the program locally. The amount of funding that will be allocated to each NRD, had not yet been determined at the time of this release. DWEE plans to introduce additional program details at Husker Harvest Days, with enrollment in the Ag Data Bank expected to begin this fall and the Grants Program scheduled to launch in January.

Voting Delegate and Alternate
The Board selected Jay Richeson as voting delegate and Deb VanMatre as alternate for the Nebraska Association of Resources District’s Annual Conference to be held September 28-29 in Kearney, NE.

Manager’s Report
Lyndon Vogt, General Manager, reported that although Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program (NSWCP) funding is currently on hold, CPNRD staff will continue collecting vadose zone soil samples for the multi-year study being conducted with the Lower Loup and Upper Big Blue NRDs. The study is examining how different fertilizer application practices affect nitrate movement and leaching through the vadose zone, the area between the crop root zone and the groundwater table. Eight agricultural fields are being monitored, including fields using sidedress fertilizer applications, chemigation and manure applications. Deep soil cores extending to 30 feet are collected before planting and after harvest, while shallow cores extending to eight feet are collected monthly during the growing season. The sampling will help the NRDs better understand how nitrogen moves below the root zone and identify management practices that can reduce nitrate losses and protect groundwater quality. The study is scheduled to continue through 2028.

The project was awarded $631,200 in Nebraska Water Sustainability Funds, with Lower Loup NRD serving as the lead sponsor and CPNRD and Upper Big Blue NRD participating in the study. Vogt emphasized that CPNRD staff will continue collecting the samples needed for the project while the NSWCP funding is on hold.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Report
Joe Krolikowski, District Conservationist, reported that staffing levels at NRCS field offices within the CPNRD continue to fluctuate. As part of a federal reorganization, field offices are expected to have approximately three employees per office. Krolikowski also reported that Nebraska State Conservationist Rob Lawson has returned to Nebraska after completing a temporary detail in Washington, D.C. During Lawson’s absence, James Huntwork served as Acting State Conservationist. Huntwork has since returned to his role as Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations for the Central Area.

Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD)
Deb VanMatre, CPNRD representative and NARD Board member, reported that three resolutions have been submitted for consideration at the 2026 NARD Annual Conference in Kearney:
– Administration of the Nebraska Chemigation Program, submitted by Upper Niobrara White NRD;
– Payroll Expenditure and Salary Publication Requirements for Natural Resources Districts, submitted by Lower Platte South NRD (LPSNRD); and
– Bonding Authority for Flood Control & Water Enhancement Projects, submitted by LPSNRD.

Nebraska Natural Resources Commission (NNRC)
Doug Reeves, Middle Platte Basin Representative, reported that the 11 applications submitted for 2026 Water Sustainability Fund (WSF) funding have been reviewed and scored. However, the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission has temporarily suspended further WSF funding decisions due to uncertainty surrounding continued appropriations from the Nebraska Legislature and ongoing litigation involving transfers from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to the fund. The 11 applications include six large-project requests totaling approximately $4.88 million and five small-project requests totaling approximately $877,000.

Financial Report
The August financial report was approved as presented.

Cost-Share Programs
The Board approved 11 cost-share applications totaling $22,037.95 through the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program and CPNRD cost-share programs. The applications included funding for prescribed burn preparation, cover crops, reverse osmosis systems and sensor-based nutrient management.

Upcoming Board Meetings 
September 24, October 22, November 19, December 17