LINCOLN, Neb. – A health advisory is in effect for the east beach Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County. During testing earlier this week, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality detected elevated levels of toxic blue-green algae at the lake. Visitors to the east beach at Pawnee State Recreation Area should avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are OK. The lake will be tested weekly through …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s 2017 spring turkey hunters are encouraged to share their experiences with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission by participating in a brief online survey. Hunters who provided an email address at the time they purchased a permit will soon receive an email invitation to participate in the survey. Those who did not provide an email address can take the survey at Game and Parks’ website. The survey will ask hunters about their turkey harvest, as well …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission amended wildlife regulations at its June 22 meeting in Gering. Following a public hearing, commissioners adopted changes to create regulations for the new Killdeer Wildlife Management Area (WMA) sight-in range in Lancaster County. They also adopted regulations to restrict use of centerfire rifles or handguns on a portion of Bordeaux Creek WMA in Dawes County; due to safety concerns, restrictions had been in place with signage since the fall of 2015. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters have until July 7 to apply for a 2017-2018 multispecies lottery permit. Two types of permits are available: Super Tag and Combo. The Super Tag permit is valid in 2017 and 2018 for one elk of either sex, one antelope of either sex, one deer of either sex, and two turkeys (only toms and bearded hens may be taken in the spring). The permit is valid in open seasons with the appropriate weapons. One Super Tag …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A Becoming an Outdoors-Family Dutch oven cooking workshop is scheduled for June 29 at Louisville State Recreation Area in Cass County. Learn all about preparing tasty outdoor meals in a Dutch oven. The event is from 6-8:30 p.m. at Lake 2’s Meisinger Picnic Shelter. All equipment will be provided. The fee is $10. A park entry permit is required. To register or get more information, contact Christy Christiansen at 402-471-5547 or christy.christiansen@nebraska.gov.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Learn about and see some fascinating reptiles at the Snakes of Nebraska event July 22-23 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park near Ashland. The free event will run 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day at Riverview Lodge, with snakes on display and naturalist programs. University of Nebraska-Lincoln herpetologist Dennis Ferraro will give a presentation at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day. A park entry permit is required.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has begun offering an online boater education course. The course, which is available beginning June 19 at OutdoorNebraska.org/boatereducation, will allow students to take the course wherever and whenever is convenient for them. Game and Parks will continue to offer classroom boater education courses across the state, for those who prefer to learn in a more traditional setting. In Nebraska, anyone born after Dec. 31, 1985 is required to successfully complete a …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers of all ages interested in learning all aspects of carp fishing are invited to attend Carp-O-Rama on June 17 at Branched Oak State Recreation Area (SRA). This free event will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lieber’s Point. Carp caught by anglers will be used in demonstrations on cleaning, preparing and cooking the fish. The cooked fish then will be served as a free lunch. Other activities include fish printing and Dutch oven cooking …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed that June 19-25 is Nebraska Pollinator Week. This special designation reminds Nebraskans of the importance of pollination to ecosystems, businesses, and people’s lives, while acknowledging the creatures that pollinate. In Nebraska, pollination from the animal kingdom can be credited to species of hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, bees, beetles and flies. Lt. Gov. Mike Foley presented the signed proclamation to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologist Melissa Panella on June 7 in a ceremony …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologists will be actively enrolling private landowners in the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program in June. Through the OFW program, landowners can earn additional income for allowing walk-in hunting or fishing access on their properties. With roughly 97 percent of Nebraska’s land-base in private ownership, finding places to recreate continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing hunters and anglers. OFW helps ensure Nebraska’s rich outdoor heritage is carried forward …