Info

The Niobrara Council was formed in 1997 to assist the National Park Service in managing and protecting Niobrara National Scenic River resources. It formed out of the wishes of the local people to have an active voice in the river management issues and a strong desire to preserve the rural characteristics, scenic qualities, and private ownership of land in the area, some of which has been in the same families for over a hundred years. The Council was originally formed by an inter-local agreement between Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha, and Rock Counties. However in 2000, the Council was strengthened when the State of Nebraska passed legislation which reconstituted the Council as a "State-Recognized" organization and delegated Niobrara River management responsibility, including the ability to develop conservation easements and hold title to land. Initially, the Council had 15 members, each representing a different stakeholder's perspective, but this number was later expanded to 16. The membership consists of representatives from local, state, and federal government, local landowners, county commissioners, area industries, and the environmental community. The diverse makeup of the Council provides a wealth of knowledge, experience, and new perspectives regarding river management issues. Although the "Niobrara Council" concept was a departure from conventional approaches to natural resource management, the cooperative experiment has proven to be extremely effective and now serves as a model for others throughout the nation.