LINCOLN – The certification of youth fishing instructors scheduled for April 5 in North Platte has been cancelled because of low registration. Those in the North Platte area may attend a workshop in Kearney on May 10 from 9 a.m.-noon at Yanney Park’s Mitzi’s Pavilion, 2005 1st Ave. To reserve a spot in this workshop, contact Lindsey Chizinski by May 5 at 402-332-4204 or lindsey.chizinski@nebraska.gov. Youth fishing instructors will receive training and tools to conduct fishing clinics. These volunteers will …

LINCOLN – State park areas temporarily closed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission last fall will reopen April 18 – two weeks earlier than previously planned. The parks will reopen early because work crews reassigned from the closed parks completed their assigned projects ahead of schedule. The purpose of the closures was to redirect Game and Parks staff and resources from the closed areas in an effort to reduce the more than $40 million of identified deferred maintenance needs …

LINCOLN – With turkey season in progress, hunters in the field should be aware of continued drought conditions that have resulted in many grass fires across the state. Care should be taken to avoid situations that could result in sparks or flames, which could lead to a wildfire. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has the following tips: — Cigarettes, matches or any smoking material should never be thrown from vehicles onto road shoulders or into grassland. Make sure these …

LINCOLN – Three new multispecies big game hunting permits are authorized for 2014, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Each of the three permit recipients will be drawn in a lottery. Those new permits are: — One Super Tag permit for residents or nonresidents. This permit is valid for one elk of either sex, one antelope of either sex, one deer of either sex, and two turkeys. — One Combo permit for residents only. This permit is valid …

LINCOLN – Beginning April 1, the outdoor archery range at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Outdoor Education Center will no longer be accessible from the private drive through Lincoln Trap and Skeet off of 48th Street. After April 1, the range will be accessible only from the entrance to the Outdoor Education Center at 44th and Superior streets. The range will remain open after April 1, and hours will remain the same, as well. The outdoor archery range is …

LINCOLN –Nebraska will receive $16,565,406 in federal conservation funds in 2014. The funds come from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs, and are generated through excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, angling equipment and tackle, electric boat motors and fuel taxes on motorboats. The money must be used for wildlife and sport fish habitat restoration and conservation, boating access projects and outdoor educational programs that support hunting and fishing. In order for states to spend …

LINCOLN – For the 25th and final season, hundreds of Boy Scouts will converge on Fort Robinson State Park in Nebraska’s Pine Ridge to plant ponderosa pine seedlings in an annual reforestation effort. This year, more than 1,100 scouts from five states are set to plant 10,000 trees on the north side of the park. The scouts will be at the park April 4-6. The planting effort, which began after wildfires burned 48,000 acres at Fort Robinson and the surrounding …

LINCOLN – The Midwest Regional Cass County Championship of the World Disc Golf Tournament will be held April 12 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park near Ashland. Check-in is at 8:30 a.m., a players’ meeting at 9:30 a.m., and the first of two rounds of competition begin at 10 a.m. There will be awards following the event, as well as a cash prize in the professional division. Register at https://shopoutdoornebraska.ne.gov/Events. Call 402-944-2523 for more information. A park entry permit is …

LINCOLN – The application deadline for $100,000 in marketing grants to promote outdoor recreation has been extended to April 2, 2014. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering the grants to support its 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. While all projects, events and campaigns must promote …

LINCOLN – Ponca State Park will host its third Outdoor Cooking Camp on April 11-13. The interactive camp includes a variety of specialty courses with hands-on instruction. Topics and activities will include campfire cooking, Dutch oven cooking, cedar plank salmon and trout, wild game sausage making, catfish cleaning and cooking, fireplace cooking, smoking meat and backyard barbecue, venison cooking, cream-can cooking, and youth classes. The cost is $50 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under. The fee includes …