BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

By Meg Mering and Wenjie Wang  What BTAA Library submitted the item?  University of Nebraska-Lincoln  Interesting tidbits  Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands include the Nebraska National Forest, Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Fort Pierre National Grassland and Oglala National Grassland  Within the United States, North Dakota (1.72%) is the only state that has less forest cover than Nebraska (3.20%).  The Nebraska National Forest (Bessey Ranger District) began in 1902 as an experiment led by Charles Bessey, an UNL botany professor, to produce trees and plant them in what is now the largest human-made forest in the United States.   https://gisgeography.com/nebraska-state-map/   Map of Nebraska. The green highlighted areas indicate the forests in Nebraska.                                 ...

By Meg Mering Featured Item: 1930s map which divided Lincoln, Nebraska into sections, rating the levels of risk for bank lenders What is the item? This map rated the level of risk for lenders by color. The green or aqua sections were the best areas. The blue sections were still desirable. The yellow sections were definitely declining. The sections marked in red (thus the term "redlining") were hazardous. Interesting tidbits The map was largely based on poverty and racial makeup. The areas marked as "hazardous" were the parts of the city where African American families lived. In 1916, Sheridan Boulevard became the first neighborhood in Lincoln to stipulate that only "those of the Caucasian race" could buy homes. Many African Americans who lived in almost every section of downtown Lincoln were displaced as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln grew and took over properties. Where can I find out more? Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America https://dsl...

By Margaret Mering What are the items? These maps show the Eastern Saline Wetlands areas of Lancaster and Saunders counties, Nebraska. The first map identifies the three categories of saline wetlands with Category 1 being of the highest quality. The aerial map identifies the names of the wetland areas. Caption: Saline Wetland Areas map produced by LPS Natural Resource District in 2003 showing locations around Lincoln, NE. ( https://mediacommons.unl.edu/luna/servlet/detail/UNL~126~126~14388~1516077 ) Caption: Saline Wetland Areas aerial image showing the names of the wetlands ( https://mediacommons.unl.edu/luna/servlet/detail/UNL~126~126~14454~1516211 ) What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Nebraska Lincoln Interesting tidbits: The Eastern Saline Wetlands once covered an area of over 200,000 acres. Today, because of the drainages of Salt Creek, Little Salt Creek and Rock Creek and residential, commercial and agricultural development, the area is only around 4,000 acres (Li...

By Adonna Fleming & Margaret Mering Featured Item: Nebraska Public Fishing Spots What is the item? This data layer shows public fishing areas in Nebraska. It includes Nebraska Game and Parks Commission-owned or leased state recreation areas, wildlife management areas, as well as waters owned by the federal government, Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Power and Irrigation companies, cities, and private entities. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Nebraska-Lincoln Interesting tidbits: For a landlocked state, Nebraska has a lot of fishing spots. 559! Nebraska is home to over 100 species of fish, 78 of which are presumed to be native. This map is one of the most popular sites viewed on http://www.nebraskamap.gov/ . Where can I find out more? More information about the top fishing spots and permits is available at Outdoor Nebraska .                        ...