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Executive Summary <br />- Changes in total sales and employment in the study area <br />■ Changes in Habitat Restoration and Management Activities <br />- Changes in total income in the study area <br />- Changes in total sales and employment in the study area <br />■ Changes in Fiscal Conditions <br />- Changes in indirect business taxes in the study area <br />• Nuisance Factors <br />■ Changes in Water Quality and Quantity <br />■ Changes ' in Education and Research Opportunities <br />Study Area. The study area is located in central Nebraska within an area commonly known as <br />the Big Bend Region and includes the counties of Adams, Buffalo, Dawson, Gosper, Hall, <br />Hamilton, Kearney, Merrick, and Phelps. The study area includes 5,633 square miles or 3.6 L- <br />million acres with total estimated population of 181,237 in 1997. The study area is primarily <br />rural in nature with several urban areas including Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, and <br />Lexington. The study area's population has increased by about 6 percent over the seven -year <br />period from 1990 -1997. <br />Agriculture is a very important sector for many counties within the study area. For instance, in j <br />Hamilton, Kearney, Merrick and Phelps Counties, 20 percent of total county personal income in <br />1996 was derived from farm operations. Agricultural production includes corn, soybeans, winter <br />wheat, sorghum, hay, beef cattle, milk cows, hogs, pigs, sheep and lambs. Corn is the largest <br />crop in terms of production with 1.8 million acres yielding 257 million bushels. Soybeans were <br />the second largest crop with 219,100 acres yielding 10.4 million bushels. In 1996, about 80 <br />percent of the acreage in crop production was irrigated in the nine county study area. The area <br />was home to 804,000 head of beef cattle; 327,000 head of hogs and pigs; 24,000 head of sheep <br />and lambs; and 3,200 head of milk cows in 1996. <br />The major sources of personal income in the nine- county study area are (1) Dividends, interest <br />and rent; (2) Transfer payments.; (3) Manufacturing; (4) Services; and (5) Government and <br />Government Enterprises. These sources provided 75 percent of total personal income in the <br />study area. Income from farm earnings (excluding "dividends, interest and rent" which is <br />reported separately) comprised 7.3 percent of total personal income in the study area. This is a _ <br />significant contribution especially considering that this category includes on -farm income only <br />and not income received by supporting industries such as agricultural services, manufacturing, <br />construction, and transportation. <br />Hwd.40210R009.doc ES -2 Third Party Impact Study <br />Final Report <br />