Tag Archives: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Forty-five years is very long time for anything, isn’t it? Forty-five years is an exceptionally long time for working at the same organization. Think about it — four-and-a-half decades. WOW! This year, 2024, marks the beginning of my 45th year at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. My career spans a few different divisions within the agency – Fisheries, Parks and Information and Education (now Communications). I will be 62 years of age this year and I started working at …

This blog post may not be my most exciting.  The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Annual Report for 2022 has been published, and I want to call attention to that.  You can see it here: Yes, it is a typical annual report.  No, it is not the most exciting reading.  However, I know that folks ask a lot of questions about the “nuts and bolts” of our agency.  That annual report will answer some of those questions. If you look …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider approving a five-year plan to recruit, retain and reactivate outdoor enthusiasts at its Oct. 21 meeting in Broken Bow. If approved, the 2023-2037 Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Plan would provide goals, objectives and strategies that would help Game and Parks to engage outdoor participants in outdoor opportunities. The staff-written plan has goals of increasing and reactivating participation in boating, fishing, hunting, parks, and shooting sports, retaining current participants, and maintaining support for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Big Game Society, which raises money through membership dues and its fundraising spring auction and dinner, donated $27,000 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on July 13. NBGS President Justin Hertzel, Secretary Jim King and board members Aaron Baumann and Tom King made a check presentation to Game and Parks Director Jim Douglas. The check represented the sale of the Nebraska Resident Elk tag to the highest bidder. Additional funds raised are earmarked for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed Ken Curry of Columbus, a corporate leader in public power and customer care, to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to represent District 3 (northeast Nebraska). Curry is vice president of customer services and chief customer officer for Nebraska Public Power District, which sells power to customers in all or part of 86 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. “My role is to focus on the customer and to do the very best for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission adopted wildlife regulations that enacted a Special Landowner Deer Season and allowed the purchase of a bonus or a preference point with regard to big game hunting at its Jan. 13 meeting in Lincoln. The Special Landowner Deer Season and purchase of a bonus or a preference point were created by the passage of LB 126 and LB 287, respectively, in the Nebraska Legislature’s 2020 session. The Special Landowner Deer Season …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management project. Game and Parks is a partner with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and is committed to providing optimal habitat on private and public lands for migrating waterfowl in the Rainwater Basin. This will be accomplished by increasing wetland management to reduce invasive plant species and increase desirable food-producing plants. Prescribed management will address …

Though we are in uncharted territory with COVID-19 regarding advisories and mandates, truly there is no better place to gain easy personal solitude or social distancing from the virus than in nature! All state park area grounds are open! They are not closed! They remain open to you for all sorts of outdoor pursuits – Sightseeing, picnicking, running, hiking, biking, camping, wildlife watching, fishing, mushroom hunting, etc. The Cowboy Trail is also open for use. Enjoying time in our state …

I know everything you are hearing about right now relates to the coronavirus.  I also know that some of that news changes not only by the day, but by the hour.  I wish I could avoid that topic all together, but that is not the case now.  So, let me share with you some coronavirus information as it relates to our outdoor recreation.  This news release just went out: Commission takes measures to keep staff, public safe in response to …

I am sharing some broadcast news related to Nebraska’s outdoor scene with you this week. Regarding my weekly television appearance about outdoors-related activities and destinations, that can now be seen on Omaha’s ABC news affiliate KETV NewsWatch 7 and www.KETV.com between 8 and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings with popular  TV anchor/host, John Oakey. Called the “Great Outdoors,” this segment represents a fresh, new visual approach to letting you know about various outdoor news items and features around the Omaha-metro …