Danish Alps SRA Grand Opening is August 1st

July 18, 2015 Leave a comment


LINCOLN – Enjoy a day of family fun Aug. 1 at the grand opening of Nebraska’s newest state recreation area – Danish Alps SRA in northeast Nebraska.

Activities scheduled between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. include a fishing clinic, kayaking, boat tours, naturalist activities, hayrack rides and fish-shocking demonstrations. A ribbon cutting will take place at 11 a.m. and refreshments will be served at 11:30 a.m.

Danish Alps SRA includes 520 acres of park land and 219-acre Kramper Reservoir. The area is owned by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and the SRA is managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The lake is stocked with channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and walleye. No live baitfish may be used or possessed. The lake features a handicap-accessible fishing pier, a variety of aquatic habitat features suitable for fish to reproduce and grow rapidly, and several breakwaters to provide excellent angling access.

Boaters will find a ramp that can accommodate two boats at once. There is a 5 mph/no-wake boating restriction on the lake.

The SRA has 73 electrical campsites as well as primitive sites. Danish Alps also has three day use areas, as well as hiking, biking and equestrian trails, picnic shelters, and horse corrals.

Hunting will be allowed in some areas south of 203rd Street from the first Tuesday following Labor Day through the end of the spring turkey season.

Danish Alps SRA is located 1½ miles south and one-half mile east of Hubbard in Dakota County. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park and may be purchased at the park.

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Health Advisory Lifted at Sutherland Reservoir

LINCOLN – A health advisory has been lifted at Sutherland Reservoir near Sutherland.

Earlier this month, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) detected elevated levels of toxic algae at the lake. As a precaution, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission closed the lake to swimming and advised visitors to avoid ingesting water and to keep pets out of the water. All other activities were unaffected.

Testing earlier this week by the DEQ indicated that algae levels had returned to normal levels. As a result, Game and Parks has reopened the swimming beach for public use.

More information on algae levels at lakes statewide can be found on the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality website, deq.state.ne.us.

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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is responsible for stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, parklands, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

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Public Meeting in Kearney to Discuss Tree Removal

July 18, 2015 Leave a comment


LINCOLN – A public meeting will be held in Kearney on July 29 to discuss invasive tree removal for upland game bird and other game management on Bassway Strip Wildlife Management Area.

The meeting will be held from 7-8 p.m. at the Environmental Resource Center Building in Yanney Heritage Park, located at 2020 W. 11th St.

Discussion will focus on removal of invasive eastern red cedar trees and grey dogwood to benefit bobwhite quail, deer, turkey and other wildlife species.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

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Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program

July 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has renewed a three-year agreement to gift $150,000 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation in support of the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program.

The program provides Nebraska youth, age 15 and younger, the opportunity to obtain a lifetime hunting and fishing permit with half of the cost paid by the Foundation. Lifetime combination hunting/fishing permits, fur harvest permits, habitat stamps and the Nebraska waterfowl stamp are also options for program winners.

The Foundation established the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program in 2006 through an anonymous donation of $1 million creating an endowment to encourage and provide opportunities for youth to obtain a lifetime permit to hunt and fish to help ensure the future of hunting and fishing in Nebraska. In addition to public permit drawings at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events statewide, conservation organizations and events focused on outdoor pursuits are eligible to hold drawings or use these half-price permits in raffles as fundraisers for their activities.

“The Foundation appreciates Cabela’s continued contribution and dedication to this program,” said Foundation Chairman Jim Abel. “With Cabela’s generous help, we are able to ensure that Nebraska’s outdoor heritage remains strong for generations to come.”

Through 2014, 3,836 lifetime permits have been issued to young hunters and anglers. The Foundation has invested $709,995 in the program. Including federal matching funds, this investment is conservatively estimated to be worth $4.9 million for conservation efforts in Nebraska.

The outdoor retailer Cabela’s is headquartered in Sidney, Neb.

For more information on the Half-Price Youth Lifetime Permit Program, visit OutdoorNebraska.org and then type “Youth Lifetime Permits” in the Search box at the top of the page.

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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

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Seven State Recreation Areas Will Allow Fireworks July 4th

July 2, 2015 Leave a comment


Seven State Recreation Areas Will Allow Fireworks on July 4

LINCOLN – Visitors to seven state recreation areas will be allowed to touch off fireworks on Independence Day, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Those visitors should always use caution when lighting fireworks.

Branched Oak State Recreation Area (SRA) near Malcolm, Fort Kearny SRA near Kearney,  Memphis SRA near Memphis, Fremont SRA near Fremont, Two Rivers SRA near Venice, Pawnee SRA near Emerald and Wagon Train SRA near Hickman will permit fireworks from 8 a.m. until midnight on July 4 only. Signs at recreation areas will point the way to designated fireworks sites and their boundaries will be clearly marked. Use of fireworks elsewhere in state areas or at other times is prohibited.

Only fireworks approved for sale in Nebraska by the state fire marshal are permitted, and visitors must pick up expended fireworks and deposit them in appropriate containers. Minor children must be supervised when discharging fireworks. Use, possession and the discharging of fireworks is at the sole risk of the users.

A park entry permit is required for all vehicles entering SRAs.

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Paddlefish Snagging Permit Application Period Is July 1-14

LINCOLN – Applications may be made for Nebraska paddlefish snagging permits July 1-14.

Snagging of paddlefish and nongame fish is permitted Oct. 1-31 in the Missouri River from the Gavins Point Dam west of Yankton, S.D., downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River at mile marker 734, west of Sioux City, Iowa. All inland waters in Nebraska are closed to paddlefish harvest.

There are 1,520 permits authorized for residents and 80 for nonresidents. The application fees of $21 for residents and $41 for nonresidents includes an issuing fee.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org to apply or use the form in the 2015 Fishing Guide. Applicants must be 12 years of age by this Oct. 1 to be eligible for a permit. The application period begins at 1 p.m. Central time on July 1. Mailed applications must be received in Nebraska Game and Parks Commission headquarters in Lincoln by 5 p.m. on July 14. Online applications end at midnight.

Permits remaining following the first drawing will be sold over the counter on a first-come basis beginning at 1 p.m. Central time on Sept. 1.

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Merritt Reservoir SRA Boat Launch Facility Improvements Begin

LINCOLN – Work has begun on improvements to the Main Landing boat launch facility at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA).

Visitors will find construction equipment entering the Main Landing boat launch and Willow Cove Campground areas over the next several months. A new concrete ramp, boat dock and breakwaters will be built this summer and fall as water levels recede. In preparation for that construction, the delivery of rock rip-rap has started.

The new boat ramp will be built just to the south of the existing one. Once completed, it will provide boater and angler access at that location for a longer duration during the summer irrigation months. The original boat ramp was built in the 1960s and often went out of service by the first part of July.

A new breakwater is planned near the Willow Cove Campground area to the southwest of the new ramp. The breakwater will provide protection from southwest winds and slow sand from being deposited around the ramp. This breakwater also will provide some bank angler fishing access.

The project is being accomplished by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation. Funding has been provided by Game and Parks’ Aquatic Habitat and Angler Access programs, capital development maintenance funds, and U.S. Coast Guard boating safety funds.

For more information on the project, call Zac Brashears at 402-376-8080 or Steve Satra at 402-471-5446.

Merritt Reservoir SRA is located 26 miles southwest of Valentine in Cherry County. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park.

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Two Trail Roads to Be Temporarily Closed at Swanson Reservoir SRA

LINCOLN – Two trail roads at Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA) will be temporarily closed June 22 so that BNSF Railway can replace crossings on them.

Trail Roads 5 and 7 on the north side of the lake will be closed so that work can begin at 7 a.m. on June 22. The crossings will be closed all day. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is posting signs and notifying campers of the closure.

Swanson Reservoir SRA is located just west of Trenton in Hitchcock County.

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Flooding Affects Southeast Nebraska Parks

LINCOLN – Several state recreation areas in Southeast Nebraska have been affected by heavy rainfall and not all areas may be accessible, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

At Stagecoach State Recreation Area (SRA), Dam Road remains closed, there is standing water on approaches to docks.

At Wagon Train SRA, all areas are open, though there is standing water on approaches to docks.

At Bluestem SRA, North Road remains closed.

At Olive Creek SRA, Area 2 is now open, but there is still standing water in some places.

All other parks and recreation areas are open, though lake water levels are high. Game and Parks staff will continue to monitor conditions at parks statewide.

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Nebraska Games and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is responsible for stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, parklands, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

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Rimfire Challenge Scheduled at Platte River State Park

July 2, 2015 Leave a comment


LINCOLN – Learn the basics of rimfire steel challenge and competitive shooting July 11 at Platte River State Park with the First Shots Second Round Rimfire Challenge.

This free event, sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, will be held at the Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex at 9 a.m. It is open to the first 20 registrants ages 12 and up. Those who bring their own rimfire rifle must bring their own ammunition. Loaner guns and ammunition are available.

Steel challenge is about shooting fast, but a shooter cannot learn to shoot fast without learning the fundamentals by being slow and methodical.

To register, visit: http://www.register-ed.com/events/view/58816.

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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

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Nebraska Game and Parks

June 30, 2015 Leave a comment


Jerry Kane
Public Information Officer | jerry.kane@nebraska.gov | 402.471.5008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boating Accident Claims One Life, Injury in Another

LINCOLN – A boating accident on the morning of June 29 in the tailwaters below Gavins Point Dam in Cedar County claimed the life of a 68-year-old Creighton woman.

Two boats collided at approximately 9:55 a.m. The victim was a passenger in one of the boats. She was transported to Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, S.D., where she was pronounced dead.

Conservation officers with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nebraska State Patrol, Cedar County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar County Emergency Management, responded to the accident.

The investigation is ongoing. Alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor in the accident. The Cedar County Attorney has ordered an autopsy on the victim. Both boats have been impounded.

A boating accident on the evening of June 28 at Whitney Lake in northwest Nebraska sent a woman to a hospital with serious arm and shoulder injuries.

A 40-year-old Crawford man was operating a boat on the Dawes County lake approximately 9 miles south of Crawford. The boat apparently struck a wake while making a turn, throwing the woman overboard. She was struck by the boat’s propeller. The victim was transported to Chadron Community Hospital and then later flown to a hospital in Fort Collins. Colo. The accident is under investigation.

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Meat Processors May Apply for Hunters Helping the Hungry

LINCOLN – Meat processors have until July 20 to apply for participation in the 2015 Hunters Helping the Hungry program, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. This program provides ground venison to Nebraskans in need.

 The application form and program guidelines are available at OutdoorNebraska.com/HHHunder Processors and Charitable Organizations. Game and Parks will accept applications for participation in any of the Nebraska 2015-2016 deer hunting seasons. Game and Parks will contact eligible applicants by Aug. 7, 2015.

 Contact Teresa Lombard at 402-471-5430 or teresa.lombard@nebraska.gov for more information.

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Habitat Project Planned on Bassway Strip WMA

LINCOLN – A habitat project will begin sometime this summer on Bassway Strip Wildlife Management Area in Buffalo County to benefit bobwhite quail, wild turkey, white-tailed deer and many other species.

The primary focus of the project will be to remove invasive cedar trees and smooth brome grass and to establish food plots and shrub thickets. This will provide nesting, brood-rearing and escape cover for quail and turkeys.

Cedar tree and limited deciduous tree removal will open up heavily timbered areas, promoting the growth of early successional browse plants to benefit deer and other wildlife species. Some of these openings will also be interseeded with legumes and forbs to produce a greater diversity of habitat that benefit many huntable wildlife species.

Biologists also will maintain some selected areas with heavy escape cover for deer that will not be affected.

Bassway Strip is located along the Platte River just southeast of Kearney.

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Commission to Consider Early Teal Season Dates

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider 2015 early teal season dates at its meeting July 16 in Sidney. The commissioners will consider the following recommended season dates: Low Plains, Sept. 5-20; High Plains, Sept. 12-20.

The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at the Hampton Inn, 635 Cabela’s Drive.

Teal hunting season dates are set to coincide with the teal migration through Nebraska, and the opening day is typically the Saturday following Labor Day. This year, because Labor Day is Sept. 7, an earlier opening day in the Low Plains is recommended to accommodate a 16-day season while avoiding conflicts with possible youth and regular duck season openers later in September and October. Regular duck and goose season dates will be considered at the August 28 Commission meeting in Burwell.

For the second year in a row, the teal season in the northern portion of Nebraska will be on an experimental basis. Continuation of the teal season each year will be dependent on hunters and their ability to distinguish teal from other duck species. During the early season experiment, Game and Parks will evaluate the rate at which nontarget species are shot at or taken. If the rate is considered unacceptable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska will lose its teal season, and most likely, never get it back. Those who take or attempt to take ducks other than teal also will be subject to prosecution.

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Women’s Rifle Series Held on Wednesdays in July

LINCOLN – Women interested in learning all aspects of rifle shooting are invited to attend a series of Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman classes in July at various locations across southeast Nebraska.

The rifle series is held each Wednesday in July from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Each class is $5. Participants may attend as many classes as they desire. Equipment and ammunition can be provided.

The class schedule: July 8 – Introduction to .22 Rifles, Firearm Safety and Range Rules, Platte River State Park, Louisville; July 15 – High-Powered Rifles and Shooting Techniques, Eastern Nebraska Gun Club, Louisville; July 22 – High-Powered Rifles and Shooting Techniques, Weeping Water Gun Club, Weeping Water; July 29 – High-Powered Rifles and Shooting Techniques, Izaak Walton League, Bennett.

For more information, contact Christy Christiansen at 402-471-5547 or christy.christiansen@nebraska.gov.

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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
402.471.0641
www.OutdoorNebraska.org

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is responsible for stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, parklands, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

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Join the Great Park Pursuit for a Nebraska Outdoor Adventure

June 24, 2015 Leave a comment


LINCOLN – Enjoy an outdoor adventure with family or friends and experience Nebraska parks by joining The Great Park Pursuit (GPP) for a chance to win prizes.

The goal of GPP, a partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Recreation and Park Association, is to promote active lifestyles while increasing awareness of the state’s nature-rich outdoor recreation opportunities.

This is done by encouraging participants to visit up to 20 GPP sites located across Nebraska between May 1 and Sept. 18, 2015 and follow clues that will lead them to a GPP post, where they use a pencil to make an impression of the post to prove they were there. Prizes and entry into drawings are based on the number of impressions collected. The grand prize is an outdoor recreation package with a retail value of $1,500.

The participating parks are: Chadron State Park, Chadron; Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area (SRA), Gering; Laing Lake Park, Alliance; Lake Ogallala SRA, Ogallala; Sutherland Reservoir SRA, Sutherland; Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (SHP), North Platte; Sherman Reservoir SRA, Loup City; Sandy Channel SRA, Elm Creek; North Park, Holdrege; Windmill SRA, Gibbon; Fonner Park, Grand Island; Ashfall Fossil Beds SHP, Royal; Willow Creek SRA, Pierce; Crystal Cove Park, South Sioux City; Benson Park, Omaha; Louisville SRA, Louisville; Two Rivers SRA, Venice; Prairie Queen Recreation Area, Papillion; Parade of Flags, Seward; Veterans Memorial Park, Beatrice.

For more information, to register or to see a list of the prizes that are available, visit negpp.org. If you have any questions or would like to request a hard copy registration form, send an e-mail to info@negpp.org.

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Marketing Grant

March 8, 2014 Leave a comment


OUTDOOR RECREATION MARKETING GRANT

 

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering marketing grants to promote outdoor recreation. The program is designed to support Game and Parks’ goals of increasing participation in outdoor recreation through collaboration with partners.

 

The grants are for communities, groups, organizations, public-private partnerships, nongovernment agencies or political subdivisions looking for help in promoting outdoor recreation to spur tourism and economic development.

 

Preference is given to marketing campaigns promoting hunting, fishing and Game and Parks’ public areas. The individual grant amounts will range from $2,000 to $25,000, and grants will be awarded on a reimbursement basis. Grantees must provide at least a 25 percent match.

 

The application deadline is March 28, 2014. Grants will be awarded April 30. Reimbursement will begin May 1, 2014 and must be completed by June 30, 2015.

 

All applications must be postmarked by March 28, 2014.

 

For more information, or to apply, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/Grants.

 

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