On February 11^th, members and partners of the Nebraska Habitat Conservation Coalition (NHCC) voted to take the US Fish and Wildlife Service to Federal court over their decision to designate at large area of Nebraska as critical habitat for the piping plover, an endangered species. The suit was filed in Federal Court on February 14^th.

It is hoped that the lawsuit filed by the NHCC will force the US Fish and Wildlife Service either through negotiation or through the courts to reduce the scope of the critical habitat designation or over turn the designation.

The designation of the critical habitat for the piping plover is a result of a federal lawsuit filed by an environmental group, Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife contested that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is not doing enough to protect the habitat area of the piping plover. Hundreds of thousands of acres of land across the country have been effected by the decision.

Areas designated as critical habitat in Nebraska include the Platte River from Plattsmouth to Gothenburg, the Loup River from Columbus to St. Paul, the Elkhorn River and portions of the Niobrara River. Activities effected by the designation include just about any kind of human activity that can be considered bothersome to piping plovers. Recreational ATV use has been SPECIFICALLY TARGETED as disruptive to piping plovers by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the media.

Top officials of the Fish and Wildlife Service have expressed their dis-pleasure of the ATV and dirtbike activity at Headworks.

The Nebraska Off Highway Vehicle Association joined NHCC as a contributing partner in order to help head off the impact of the habitat to the Headworks OHV Park near Genoa and areas where members recreate in the Columbus area. NOHVA has contributed $3000 to NHCC in the last six months and has pledged an additional $3000 in 2004, depending upon the progress of the law suit. Dan Nitzel serves as our organizations liaison with NHCC.

Our organizations concern about the habitat designation involves the likely potential of the Fish and Wildlife Service banning the use of ATVs and dirtbikes during the summer months of June, July and August at Headworks and in and along the Loup River from the Headworks OHV Park near Genoa to Columbus

The primary goal of the Nebraska Habitat Conservation Coalition is to find a way to reduce the impact or eliminate the impact of the critical habitat for the piping plover. The main argument against the critical habitat designation is that the designations will have a significant negative impact on agriculture, social life and the economy of Nebraska.

Members of NHCC include a long list of Nebraska public power districts, natural resource districts and irrigation districts. Partners of the NHCC include farming associations and recreational interests such as NOHVA and the Nebraska Air Boaters. There is a total of 33 members and partners.

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This page was updated on Wednesday, January 19, 2005