LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has officially appointed a new “Water Quality and Quantity Task Force” as he seeks to merge two state agencies that oversee water resources.

Pillen’s office announced the initial appointment of seven members to the task force and a first meeting of the group earlier in the day, according to a news release Wednesday evening. The first meeting was not open to the public or announced ahead of time. The governor’s office is still working out whether some future meetings will be public.

In the coming weeks, Pillen has promised to appoint more members and is eyeing a group of about 20 to 25 people who will focus on water quality and quantity but also education.

Pillen promised to create the group when he testified on Legislative Bill 317 last month, which was introduced at his request. That bill seeks to fold the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources into the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

LB 317, led by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, chair of the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee, would create the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment.

“We have tremendous opportunity through this group to initiate actions that will impact Nebraska for generations to come,” Pillen said in a statement. “For years, water policy in this state has been largely reactive. Now, we have the knowledge and technology in place to be proactive in how we approach issues that impact our farmers, our industries and our communities.”

Task force members said they want to encourage increased adoption of technologies and solutions for handling water issues, especially in agriculture, according to the release.

The group plans to meet over the next year to 15 months to identify short-, mid- and long-term goals and accompanying action items. This could include subgroups, as needed.

Brandt, as committee chair, selected LB 317 as a 2025 committee priority bill, increasing the chances it will be debated by the full Legislature this spring. The bill hit a string of opposition at its committee hearing last month, as some argued the merger could divide, rather than increase, attention on water. The merger is not expected to result in cost savings.

The Natural Resources Committee voted to advance LB 317 to the full Legislature last week.

Pillen, who started Columbus-based Pillen Family Farms in 1993, and whose family still operates a major hog operation, said “water is our holy grail because of the Ogallala Aquifer.”

“We must be smart about how we use our water and keep it as clean and contaminate-free as possible,” Pillen said. “Only then, will we be able to meet all necessary demands.”

The initial task force’s “core members” appointed by Pillen are:

• Jesse Bradley, interim director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
• Matt Manning, an engineer in the Natural Resources Department.
• Marty Stange, environmental supervisor for the City of Hastings.
• Brandon Hunnicutt, chair of the Nebraska Corn Board.
• Don Batie, a farmer and past president of the state’s Natural Resources Commission.
• Dean Settje, founder and president of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering, a provider of livestock systems design, engineering, construction management, manure marketing and environmental compliance.
• Scott Schaneman, general manager of the North Platte Natural Resources District.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/pillen-appoints-nebraska-water-quali...