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20i1035�� EXHIBIT E- RESERVED RIGHTS PILOT Nebraska Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex The Parties enter this Exhibit E which authorizes the Landowner to reserve grazing rights provided NRCS determines that the reservation of the grazing right is: • compatible with the land subject to the WRP easement; and • consistent with tl�e long-term wetland protection and enhancement goals for which the easement is being established. THE NEBRASKA RAINWATER BASIN WETLAND ECOSYSTEM The wetland complex found within the Rainwater Basin region of South-Central Nebraska consists of numerous clay-bottomed depressions that catch and hold rain and runoff water. Wetland types within the Rainwater Basin range from temporary or seasonal wetlands, typically flooded during spring and fall, to semi-permanent wetlands, typically flooded from November through July. Semi-permanent wetlands are generally found at the core of larger wetland complexes. Curtently, the Rainwater Basin is characterized by intensive row-crop agriculture and approximately 90 percent of the original wetlands have been eliminated by various drainage activities. Wildlife habitat is one of the primary functions provided by the remaining wetland complex which is important to migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland-dependent birds, including the federally endangered whooping crane. Approximately 90 percent of the mid-continent population of geater white-fronted geese, 50 percent of the mid-continent population of snow geese, 50 percent of the mid-continent population of mallards and 30 perc�nt of the continent population of northem pintails use the Rainwater Basin wetlands during spring migration. A total of 34 different species of shorebirds, numbering 200,000 to 300,000 birds migrate through the region which has caused it to be noted as a"landscape of hemispheric importance" in relation to shorebird habitat. These wetlands also provide functions related to nutrient retention and sediment trapping which is important in a landscape dominated by row-crop agriculture. A third function of these wetland complexes including associated uplands is the production of perennial herbaceous vegetation which in addition to providing wildlife cover and food, also provide forage for livestock. Areas of perennial herbaceous vegetation within the Rainwater Basin are limited as a result of much of the adjacent lands used for production of corn and soybeans. As a result, grazing management in these wetlands may be used to maintain a healthy, diverse composition of native herbaceous plants while providing for desired habitat structure during migration periods. Short vegetative structure, approximately 6 inches or less, during the spring and fall migration is often desired in order to accomrnodate migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and other water-dependent bird species. Invasive vegetation, including reed canarygrass and hybrid cattail, is a concern in many Rainwater Basin wetlands because it reduces vegetative diversity and adversely impacts available habitat within the wetlands, can also be treated to some extent with proper gazing management.