LINCOLN, Nebraska – The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts hosts their annual Legislative Conference to highlight partnerships and discuss natural resources policy at the Lincoln Embassy Suites Jan. 28-29, 2025.

The two-day conference brings together Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), elected officials and public-private partners integrally involved in conservation, technology, and policymaking. The conference also provides attendees an opportunity to learn how Nebraska’s NRDs work with landowners, state and federal agencies, and members of the public to protect Nebraska’s natural resources.

Governor Jim Pillen will kick off the event Tuesday, Jan. 28, followed by a property tax reform panel with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Nebraska Farm Bureau, and Nebraska Association of School Boards; and a discussion of proposed legislation of interest to the NRDs. During the evening Senators Reception, NRD leaders will meet with state senators to discuss natural resources challenges and successes in the districts.

The conference continues Wednesday, Jan. 29, with breakout sessions for attendees, including:

• Improving Nitrogen-Use Efficiency for Corn in Nebraska: In-Season Management
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Dam Rehabilitation
• Revitalizing Irrigation: Restoring Aging Canals for Sustainable Water Management
• Update on Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy’s ONE RED Program
• Examining the Effect of Fertilizer Application Practices on Soil Nitrate and Water Quality
• Funding the Future: Strategies for Infrastructure Implementation
• Maximizing Producer Profits through Carbon-Smart Practices and the 45Z Tax Credit
• Nebraska Hydrology
• Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA) Recharge Mapping and Focus Area Assessments
• Update on the Resilient Soils Act and the Nitrogen Reduction Act
• Bringing Life Back to Methodist Cove: Harlan County Lake Ecosystem Restoration

More than 300 natural resources stakeholders are expected to attend the conference, which is presented by Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts with a range of local and national sponsors including Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska, Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA), HDR, Houston Engineering Inc., JEO Consulting Group, Olsson, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute and The Nebraska Water Center.

Conference registration is available on the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts’ website: https://www.nrdnet.org/events.

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at http://www.nrdnet.org/.