Nebraska lawmakers consider combining environment, natural resources agencies

Under a proposal backed by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environment and Energy could be combined. The new agency would be called the Department of Water, Energy and Environment, or DWEE for short.

The merger is outlined in LB317, which was introduced by Natural Resources Committee chair Sen. Tom Brandt. Brandt said his bill would improve internal communications and eliminate overlapping administrative functions.

“The merger will foster collaboration between water planning and state investments in water infrastructure projects, ensuring Nebraska remains a leader in resource management innovation,” he said.

Deputy state budget administrator Jacob Leaver said there would be a $100,000 one-time cost associated with the merger and no reduction in state spending in the short term.

“We didn't want to show a negative at this moment in time, but I do believe that in the upcoming biennium of FY 28-29 there would be a reduction,” he said.

Both departments are currently led by Jesse Bradley, who Pillen appointed as interim director of NDEE Wednesday. Bradley has been the interim director of DNR since August 2024.

Bradley testified in favor of the merger and said that even without significant, immediate cost savings, the new agency name would benefit its mission.

“Sometimes the unfortunate reality is those agency names and those silos can kind of get in the way, and so I think what this will do is make sure that's not an issue,” he said.

Opponents of the legislation shared concerns about the rushed timeline of the proposal. If passed by the Legislature, the bill would take effect upon a signature from Pillen.

Jasper Fanning, the general manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resources District, likened the merger to a hastily planned wedding.

“You don't arrange for and conduct a shotgun wedding, and then make the first step after that wedding, looking at what the test result is,” he said. “You sit down and you think about, what's the problem that we're going to solve? How do we best solve it? And then, what's the next step forward?”

Fanning said the current system of two agencies has worked well, prompting other states to view Nebraska’s system as a model of collaboration.

“Bigger isn't always better in government," Fanning said. "The things that we like best about working with DNR probably has a lot to do with how small of an agency they are. They're nimble, and they're responsive to Nebraska really quickly.”

The Natural Resources Committee will determine whether to advance the bill for further debate from the full Legislature.

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