Natural Resources Committee holds abbreviated hearing on Jeff Kanger reappointment to Nebraska Environmental Trust Board

The Nebraska Legislature Natural Resources Committee held an abbreviated hearing on the reappointment of Jeff Kanger to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board, asking him about recent changes to the trust’s grant process and outreach to new applicants.

Jeff Kanger, the nominee and president of First State Bank Nebraska, told the committee he is “a big believer in diversity within that applicant pool,” and said the board has seen an influx of first-time applicants after recent process changes. He said the board has worked to clarify eligibility and scoring and to increase public outreach, including listening sessions before the application cycle.

The exchange came after Senator Conrad raised concerns that recent grantmaking at the trust has become “hyper politicized” and moved away from its central mission. Kanger responded that the trust’s legacy is long and that recent work has focused on process transparency: “are the scoring items clearly articulated? Are those hearings done in the process and has an opportunity to participate,” he said, adding that the board instituted a more explicit rubric and a blind-scoring step in the grants committee.

Committee members pressed Kanger on how the trust prioritizes projects. Kanger described a three-step approach: an executive director recommendation on eligibility; a grants-committee scoring rubric that factors public benefit, environmental impact and sustainability; and blind scoring by committee members with averages used for recommendations to the board. He said the board voluntarily sought an outside financial audit earlier in his tenure and separated eligibility determinations from scoring after learning from that review.

Senator DeKay and Senator McKay asked about specific rule changes and outreach. Kanger said the board interpreted requirements in “title 137” and worked through rulemaking processes with the “PRO and AG’s office” to clarify terms for applicants. He also said staff increased messaging and held listening sessions to reduce mystery around applying and that the board saw “a huge influx of newer first time applicants,” though he did not cite a precise count.

Kanger described a view of the trust’s role that focuses on the quality of projects and return on public investment rather than on broader state budget decisions. Asked whether trust resources should supplant state funding or complement it, he said his “focal point is with the resources we have is the public getting a good ROI and getting access to the work that those dollars fund.”

Committee discussion noted that the board may revisit weightings and components of the rubric each summer so applicants have time to respond. The hearing recorded no public proponents or opponents; the committee moved to a closed executive session after the testimony. No formal vote on the reappointment appears in the public portion of the transcript.

Background: The Nebraska Environmental Trust was established by vote of the people to fund natural-resources projects. Kanger was first appointed in November 2019 and is nominated for a six-year reappointment term starting March 25, 2025; he has served as chair of the grants committee and lives in Lincoln.