About Nebraska Great Plains

Vision:
To educate citizens, develop leadership, and revitalize the area through cooperative partnerships and leveraged resources.

Mission:
Serve as models of positive, proactive leadership for other rural towns in the Midwest region to share resources, successes, and opportunities to energize the area.

Motto:

"Helping Communities Help Themselves"

Area DescriptionThe Nebraska Great Plains RC&D comprises some 4,823 squaremiles in east central Nebraska.  Roughly rectangular in shape, this 50 by 100 mile area is overwhelmingly rural, despite having 54 percent of the state's population within its boundaries.  Eighty-five percent of the land is agricultural, primarily cropland.

The area is home to approximately 900,000 people, with 90 percent living in Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy counties  Three percent of the remainder of the area's residents live in the other six counties in cities between 1,243 and 7,974 in population.  Seven percent live in smaller communities or on farms.  The population density is very disparate across the area, from 1,258 per square mile in Douglas County to 12.9 in Polk County.  The average farm is 381 acres.  Of the 117 towns in the area, 76 have populations under 500.  The median poplulation in this area is 355.

Summary of 2005 Activities:

• 330 Council member hours contributed
• 738 Volunteer hours contributed
• 130 Project partners
•  12 Council meetings
•  13 Completed projects
•  12 Projects in progress

Summary of 2006 Activities:

• 400   Council member hours contributed                                                                             
• 803   Volunteer hours contributed                                                                                            
• 211 Project partners                                                                                                                     
• 12   Council meetings                                                                                                                   
• 12     Completed projects                                                                                                            
• 22     Projects in progress

Summary of 2007 Activities:

• 400 Council Member Hours Contributed
• 1056 Volunteer Hours Contributed
• 168 Project Partners
• 12 Council Meetings
• 12 Completed Projects
• 17 Projects in Progress