Western Meadowlarks are a common sight in the country, where you will often hear their song before spying the bird perched on a barbed wire fence. In town, take a close look to find a blue silhouette of Nebraska’s state bird on the north side of the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center proclaiming, “funding provided by the Nebraska Environmental Trust supported by the Nebraska Lottery.” NET Executive Director Mark Brohman presented the sign during a recent tour of the facility.
Brohman said he was doing some site visits and wanted to “check out your facility” on his way to Chadron. “It is always good to check on projects when I’m in the area. You’ve got quite an operation . . . (and) recycle a lot more than some other places . . . Looks like an efficient operation. I could tell people are passionate about what you do.”
KAB has traditionally received a significant amount of its annual funding through an NET grant. The award for 2021 is $84,965, with one third paying wages and the remainder applied to supplies, operating expenses and travel.
Brohman has worked with KAB staff for a long time and enjoyed being able to match names with faces during his visit. After leading NET for the past 15 years, he resigned this summer and will leave the Trust Nov. 10 to serve as director of the Wachiska Audubon Society in Lincoln. The Society owns several tall grass prairies and works to protect 17 prairies, some as large as 400 acres, in southeast Nebraska. “I’m continuing what I’ve done,” Brohman said. “Now it’s more concentrated on habitat. I’ll work with a lot of the same agencies.”
Brohman described how state agency directors serve on the NET board as well as three citizens from each congressional district (Hastings is the westernmost community represented) who are appointed to six-year terms by the governor. Agencies represented are Nebraska: Game and Parks Commission, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Energy, Department of Natural Resources and Division of Public Health, Dept. of Health and Human Services. When considering grants NET also consults with 90 experts in their fields from across Nebraska to fund five categories: surface and groundwater, air quality, energy efficiency, soil management and municipal waste and recycling.
Detailed grant applications, due the first Tuesday after Labor Day, have moved through a months-long process for a piece of a $20-million pie from lottery proceeds in recent years. First, the grants committee (four citizens and two directors) considers and scores the submissions. Then everything advances to the full board before a public hearing in April. Government agencies, non-profits and for-profit entities may apply. NET has funded projects in all 93 counties since awarding its first grants in 1994. However, Brohman noted, there has been some controversy in recent years with awards changed. Ethanol was an example as both sides debated whether the net energy exchange was actually beneficial. “A lot of people have thought research shouldn’t be eligible,” he said. “Water has been a big one.” One of the most unique ideas hoping for assistance, he said, was a person who wanted to take feathers and plastic bags to manufacture bendable sheets with high insulation value and strength.
KAB’s operations are more straightforward than feathers and bags, however we must still be diligent in conveying our role in the community to NET. Brohman predicted that the advent of casino gambling will cut lottery revenue in Nebraska 10-40 percent as has been the case in other states. Though it may take a few years, KAB will likely be competing for fewer overall dollars. Wherever our funding comes from, we will strive to promote recycling, litter prevention, and beautification and community improvement.