To protect and conserve: Fifty years of Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts

Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are celebrating 50 years in 2022. Even after a half century of protecting Nebraska’s precious water and soil—and other conservation related activities—many Nebraskans are unaware of the important work done by Nebraska’s NRDs. With that said, and in a time where the demand for natural resources has never been higher in human history, this innovative system of NRDs has become the envy of the nation.

As the home of Arbor Day, the largest congregation of cranes on Earth, nearly 129,000 km (80,000 mi) of rivers, the deepest depths of the Ogallala Aquifer, the scenic Pine Ridge, and the unique Sandhills region, Nebraskans have long been leaders in conservation circles. With these natural jewels and so many others in a state proudly known as one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the world, conservation of Nebraska’s natural resources will always be paramount.

By the late 1960s, 154 special-purpose entities were working across Nebraska on the conservation of water and soil, and the protection of watersheds and drainages, and other natural resources (Arens 2017). This important work provided the foundation for the NRDs that would soon be formed in Nebraska.