Bird habitat program halfway to goal

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program is halfway to a goal of protecting 10,000 acres of habitat for threatened and endangered birds.

Central Platte Natural Resources District biologist Mark Czaplewski, vice chairman of the program’s land advisory committee, said about 1,917 acres along the river have been purchased, including 356 acres that sold Thursday and a 337-acre tract sold last week. He told district directors Thursday in Grand Island that those are the sixth and seventh parcels purchased.

Combined with the Nebraska Public Power District’s 2,650-acre Cottonwood Ranch between Elm Creek and Overton and Wyoming’s 455 acres southeast of Kearney, the total now is 5,022 habitat acres.

The Platte program goal is to protect habitat and river flows in central Nebraska that are important to least terns, piping plovers and whooping cranes, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. A basin program allows entities with federal licenses, permits or funding in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska to be in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

Czaplewski said the land sales so far have been from private owners, but program acres also may come from perpetual leases and conservation easements.

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