Tom Osborne Meeting Report

Tom Osborne held four meetings across the State of Nebraska regarding water. The meetings were held in York, Holdrege, McCook, and Imperial. WaterClaim members were in attendance at all meetings and report that Congressman Osborne gave a consistent presentation and set of answers at all meetings.

The presentation was about the water issue as it deals with Kansas and how CREP and EQIP are tools that the area can use to help comply with the agreement with Kansas. Osborne also talked about the Farm Bill that will be renewed in 2007. He believes that the new Farm Bill will be much more likely to encourage conservation practices, paying farmers to use more strip till and more terraces. He talked about the World Trade Organization discussions that are taking place in two weeks and how they will play a large role in shaping the Farm Bill.

One of the first things Osborne addressed was the notion that he was a "tree hugger."  He mentioned his voting record and stressed, "I'm as far from being a tree hugger as you can get."  He also said, "My family has been involved in irrigation since the 1950's."  His father was involved in the irrigation business in Hastings and his brother still is. "I'm not interested in doing anything to hurt irrigation in Nebraska," he added.

He stressed that the Endangered Species Act is bad and that we don't want to put the landowner on the defensive.

Congressman Osborne made mention of a Kansas State study that shows that most of the stream flow reductions have been caused by conservation practices. He also talked about a conservation study that the Agreement requires and stated that he felt the study was being deliberately delayed.

Osborne stated that he doesn't believe that Nebraska should pay any large fines or shut off any wells until the study is done. He read to the group the letter that he wrote to the Attorney Generals of the three States. He doesn't know how acceptable a renegotiation of the Agreement might be, but believes the discussion must take place.

Ed Schrock stood up and said that it is a tough situation and that the Republican farmers are isolated out here.  He stated that there are 3 senators in the Legislature representing this whole region, but that he thinks the Legislature, in general, is sympathetic to our plight.

Osborne stated that he feels that the farmers and people in the Basin have done what the State has asked them to do.  "I don't think anyone has had bad motives."  He mentioned that we've done what we could through the years.  Therefore, he thinks the State should step in and deal with the compliance issue.

He mentioned that farmers should look at supplementing their farm income with recreation, such as hunting.  "At one time, we had a lot of hunting."  He stressed that folks from other states aren't coming here to hunt as much and that they are going to South Dakota because a bunch of farmers up there are pursuing hunting income the way Osborne envisions Nebraska could do.

In the question and answer session, Scot German pointed out that the Farm Bill rewarding conservation would work counter to putting more water into the stream and asked if, in light of the Kansas study showing conservation being the primary cause of the stream flow decline, the Farm Bill wouldn't just make things worse. Osborne acknowledged the point.

Cal German asked if Kansas is actually being damaged by Nebraska's overuse of allocation.  Rumor has it that Kansas doesn't use all the water they get now, so it is a concern that there is actual damage for which Nebraska should pay.  Osborne said he did not know the answer but that he knew how contracts work.  Nebraska signed the contract in 1943, and now we are dealing with the consequences.

Steve Smith mentioned that the State is now 100,000 acre feet over its allocation and that CREP and EQIP will help by 12,000 acre feet. Therefore the question remains, how will we come up with the other 88,000 acre feet? Osborne mentioned that he asked the DNR for the answer to that question but that the DNR will not reply.