Imperial Republican

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Talk about getting blind-sided. That's how many state and natural resource district (NRD) officials felt Monday when they heard about the abrupt retirement of Ann Bleed, 66, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
     Her retirement comes as Nebraska finds itself deep in the middle of possible litigation threatened by Kansas over Republican River Basin water use.
     A March meeting between Bleed and other state water representatives from Kansas and Colorado was scheduled to be continued April 11.
     Her unexpected retirement caught people off guard, especially in light of the discussions with Kansas.
     Gov. Dave Heineman's spokesman, Jen Hein, said Tuesday that Bleed's retirement came as a total surprise to the governor.
     Speculation circulated around the capitol Monday that Heineman asked Bleed to resign. Hein emphasized the governor neither asked her to step down nor wanted her to step down.
     On Friday, the governor and Bleed discussed the importance of communication and working with the Attorney General's Office on water issues that are under litigation.
     In her retirement letter to the governor dated Monday, March 24, she told him, "It has become clear to me that you and I disagree on a number of significant issues.
     "Without a mutual agreement, I cannot serve you or the State effectively. Given this situation, I have decided to retire from my job as the Director of the Department of Natural Resources," she said in the letter.
     Upper Republican NRD Manager Jasper Fanning said he, too, was shocked when he heard the news during a board retreat in North Platte Monday.
     Fanning said while he and the board were at odds with Bleed from time to time, they were always able to resolve things.
     Like others, Fanning expressed anxiousness with the timing of her retirement as discussions with Kansas seem to be headed towards a litigation mode.
     However, he said the Attorney General's Office has been heavily involved and can carry the ball.
     He added the technical staff at DNR is very capable and Bleed's replacement Brian Dunnigan is up to speed on the issues.
     Dunnigan served as Bleed's deputy director after she was named director in 2007. An engineer by trade, Dunnigan has been with DNR for more than 20 years.
    Tough issues to deal with
     Fanning said Bleed presided over water policy during a period of much controversy.
     She was a lightning rod of sorts in her own fashion and often spoke her mind.
     She drew considerable ire from a crowd of farmers in McCook in late 2006. That's when she suggested the only way Nebraska could come into compliance with Kansas was by reducing irrigation allocations to three to six inches.
     She took a front-line stance at the meeting to protect the governor from the criticisms hurled relentlessly during the meeting.
     In recent months, she became more inclined to consider stream augmentation as a way for Nebraska to comply with a 2002 settlement with Kansas over the Republican water.
     Several years ago when the idea was first proposed by WaterClaim, an Imperial-based water advocacy group, she gave the plan little merit.
     However, she appeared to do a turn-around after Colorado introduced a similar plan to keep their state in compliance with the settlement.
     Attorney General Jon Bruning, who was also taken by surprise by Bleed's announcement, noted she directed the department when there were "tough issues to deal with. It's never easy when it doesn't rain."
    AG to fight for state's water
     Bruning said Tuesday that his office will continue to play a key role in negotiations with Kansas and "to fight for Nebraska's water use."
     He said he's proud of the steps farmers in the Republican Basin have already taken to reduce consumption and manage use.
     Once Kansas is made fully aware of those efforts, he believes the situation will improve. "We will do anything and everything to protect Nebraska," he said.
     The upcoming compact meetings with Kansas and Colorado will be a huge priority for the AG's office, he said.
     He said Chief Deputy Attorney General Dave Cookson and Assistant Attorney Justin Lavene will work closely with the NRDs and the DNR on the issue. There's a lot of expertise out there, Bruning noted.