The Nebraska Corn Development, Utilization and Marketing Board has announced that the terms for three board members will expire June 20. The members represent Districts 2 and 3, as well as the at-large position.

* District 2 includes the counties of Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Franklin, Webster, Nuckolls, and Thayer. (Mark Jagels, the current District 2 director, has indicated that he will pursue reappointment.)

* District 3 includes the counties of Merrick, Polk, Hamilton, and York. (Stan Boehr, the current District 3 director, has indicated that he will not pursue reappointment.)

* At-Large District includes all counties in Nebraska. (Alan Tiemann, the current At-Large District director, has indicated that he will pursue reappointment.)

Appointment to the board for Districts 2 and 3 are made by the governor. Appointment to the board for the At-Large District is made by the board.

Any candidate for appointment may place his or her name on the candidacy list by filing a petition with the Nebraska Corn Board.

Qualified candidates include those individuals who are citizens of Nebraska, are at least 21 years old, have been actively engaged in growing corn in Nebraska for a period of five years, and derive a substantial portion of their income from growing corn. Board members who currently represent these districts are also eligible to re-petition.

Petitions may be obtained by writing the Nebraska Corn Board, P.O. Box 95107, Lincoln, NE 68509-5107 or by calling (800) 632-6761.

A candidacy petition must carry the signatures of at least 50 corn producers from that district. All petitions must be received by the Corn Board no later than 5 p.m. on May 16. Faxed copies do not qualify.

Improved fire protection for Cushing

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has awarded an $18,000 grant to the village of Cushing to install a water well for improved fire protection services to its 31 rural residents.

"We appreciate the grant funds from the USDA Rural Development to obtain our well. It is beneficial to the village of Cushing and the city of St. Paul Fire Department in their time of need," said Cushing Village Chairman Leo Haggerty.

Cushing currently lacks a municipal water system and looks to St. Paul, located 14 miles away, to fill its tanker trucks. Not having a volunteer fire department, Cushing is a member of the St. Paul Rural Fire District.

"USDA Rural Development is pleased to help bring greater safety to the rural residents of Cushing," said Specialist Glen Gatz, USDA Rural Development. "Having to drive tankers to St. Paul inhibited the fire department's response time to fires, placing lives and property in greater jeopardy."

Nebraska state 4-H camps now open for registration

Registrations are now being accepted for the Nebraska state 4-H Camps, which are open to all youths, not just those in 4-H, said Jill Walahoski, director of camp operations.

In addition, campers who register before April 1 receive a 10 percent discount.

The camps are open to a variety of audiences and age groups and offer an assortment of camp lengths, interest areas, locations and prices. There are more than 40 day and overnight camping programs and trips scheduled for this summer.

"All Nebraska youth can enjoy a 4-H camp this summer," Walahoski said. "Whether their interests are in tubing down the Niobrara, navigating a scavenger hunt with GPS, or zipping down a zipline, fun opportunities abound."

Facilities are modern and well-maintained, and staff is employed and trained by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, which through the 4-H youth development program has been offering 4-H camps for more than 50 years.

The camps and centers all meet more than 300 stand-ards established by the American Camp Association.

"The Nebraska 4-H camps and centers through their strong affiliation with UNL provide the ultimate camping experience for all youth," Walahoski said.

The Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center near Gretna is a 30-minute drive from Omaha and Lincoln. It is just eight miles south of Gretna and shares 350 acres with Schramm State Park and the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium and Outdoor Education Center.

The South Central 4-H Center is on the north shore of Harlan County Reservoir, the state's second-largest reservoir.

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp near Halsey is in the Nebraska National Forest, meshing with the state's scenic Sandhills.

For more information about the 4-H camps, to register online or obtain a registration form, visit the Nebraska 4-H Web site at http://4h.unl.edu, call Walahoski at (402) 472-1710, e-mail jwalahoski2@unl.edu or contact a local UNL Extension office.

EQIP supporting state legacy wildlife areas

State Conservationist Steve Chick of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service reported Friday that EQIP continues to demonstrate its flexibility in addressing priority resource concerns within Nebraska.

"This year marked the first time that the State Technical Committee recommended assigning priority points to EQIP applications that benefited priority areas identified in the State Legacy Plan," Chick said.

As a result, he said, NRCS has approved 75 EQIP contracts in FY08 covering 51,364 acres within the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission Legacy Plan areas.

Those contracts include a wide variety of wildlife habitat improvement practices, including brush management on 5287 acres, prescribed burns on 2651 acres, 146,720 feet of fencing, 24,687 feet of firebreaks, 74,740 feet of pipelines for water supply, 95 water tanks, 15 wells, 74 acres of seeding for restoration of declining habitats, 27 acres of seeding for wildlife habitat, 53 acres of wetland restoration and 2.5 acres of tree/shrub plantings.

Chick said these contracts totaled more than $1 million obligated for wildlife improvement practices within the Legacy Plan areas.