Dean Edson of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts: Recovering From an Arson Attack
A fire on the night of May 30, 2020, destroys the NARD office.
T
he Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) is the trade association that represents Nebraska’s 23 natural resources districts (NRDs), local agencies that handle water quantity and quality issues, soilerosion control, flood prevention, and other environmental concerns across the state. On the night of Saturday, May 30, 2020, the NARD’s Lincoln, Nebraska, headquarters were destroyed by arsonists, resulting in approximately a quarter million dollars’ worth of personal property damage. In this interview, NARD Executive Director Dean Edson tells Irrigation Leader about how the organization is recovering from this event and the lessons it holds for other agencies. Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your background.
6 | IRRIGATION LEADER | December 2020
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about the history of the NARD. Dean Edson: In 1972, the Nebraska Legislature merged 154 political subdivisions related to some aspect of natural resource management into 23 NRDs, whose service areas follow river basin boundaries. The NRDs are responsible for managing groundwater quality and quantity. They also work with landowners on soil erosion issues, wildlife habitat, tree planting, and all other natural resources issues. The NARD is the trade association for the NRDs. Irrigation Leader: Please tell our readers about the incident in May when your office was destroyed by arsonists. irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NARD.
Dean Edson: I grew up on an irrigated family farm in Gothenburg, Nebraska, and farmed on my own after high school for about 10 years. We restructured the farm in 1984, during the ag crisis. I then moved to Lincoln to work for the animal science department at the University of Nebraska. While there, I earned a degree in animal science
and agribusiness in 1986. After that, I went to work for the Nebraska Farm Bureau, serving 11 years as its director of state governmental relations. During my time at the Farm Bureau, I also earned a master of business administration from the University of Nebraska in 1991. For the last 23 years, I have served as the executive director of the NARD. I also currently own and operate the family farm in Gothenburg.
