LINCOLN, Neb. – This Saturday will be a great day to go fishing or visit a state park area in Nebraska! May 18 is Free Fishing and Park Entry Day. Free Fishing and Park Entry Day is held annually in Nebraska on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day weekend. It means anyone can fish without a permit or visit a state park area without a park entry permit that day only. Even though fishing and park entry permits are not required, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has reopened all or portions of several state park areas that were temporarily closed after sustaining damage during March’s historic flood. The flood damaged roads, campgrounds, electrical hookups, boat ramp and docks, buildings and other structures. Parks staff and volunteers worked quickly to clear debris, repair damaged infrastructure and ensure public safety. Even so, access to some areas and services may be limited in certain locations. The following park areas are …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Three upcoming events at Nebraska state historical parks will feature programs by a unique guest: Miss V, the Gypsy Cowbelle. Through song and stories, Miss V will relate a blend of historical events and early homesteading. As a performer, Miss V brings a unique personal perspective: she has lived in a cabin without electricity and running water for 14 years in Wyoming. “She can relate her own experience to that of the early homesteaders,” said Fort Kearny …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will receive $250,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for the Grassland Enhancement Initiative project. This is the first year of award, with a potential for a second year funding totaling $250,000. The project is one of the 117 projects receiving $19,501,444 in grant awards from the Trust this year. Of these, 85 were new applications and 32 are carry-over projects. Game and Parks and Pheasants Forever will use Trust and matching …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will receive $200,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for the WILD Nebraska Program. The project is one of the 117 projects receiving $19,501,444 in grant awards from the Trust this year. Of these, 85 were new applications and 32 are carry-over projects. Game and Parks and its partners have been implementing the WILD Nebraska program on private lands since 2000. The agency allocates approximately $100,000 toward WILD Nebraska and requests for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Big Game Society will receive $25,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for the Solar Water Well Equipment Water Catchments project. The project is one of the 117 projects receiving $19,501,444 in grant awards from the Trust this year. Of these, 85 were new applications and 32 are carry-over projects. This wildlife water development project is a partnership between Nebraska Big Game Society and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The goal is to provide wildlife …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will be host two citizen science trainings in June to prepare volunteers to assist with the Monarch and Regal Fritillary Surveys project. This workshop is for anyone interested in completing transect surveys looking for monarch and regal butterflies between June 15 and July 15, 2019. The first training will be June 11 from 10-11 a.m. at Nine-Mile Prairie near Lincoln. Contact Alie Mayes at alie.mayes@nebraska.gov for more information. The second training …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area officially re-opened to the public May 1 – in no small part, Nebraska Game and Parks staff members say, due to the efforts of a hard-working group of volunteers. On April 27, roughly 250 people showed up at a volunteer cleanup day, removing debris, garbage, sticks and logs. They also planted flowers, painted, and removed flowerbeds. They stuck around despite a cold front that moved in partway through the event, bringing strong …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fishing improves Nebraskans’ quality of life and is crucial to the conservation of our natural resources. To encourage Nebraskans to go fishing and introduce newcomers to the activity, on May 6 Gov. Pete Ricketts officially proclaimed the month of May as Take ’Em Fishing Month in Nebraska. Take ’Em Fishing is a new challenge introduced by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, which encourages experienced anglers to pledge to take new or lapsed anglers fishing. Now through …

DONIPHAN, Neb. – You might think Payton DeTavernier, like many people, might be nervous entering a shoot-off for the Cornhusker Cup. You’d be wrong. The Papillion-La Vista South junior shot a 72 in the handicap Saturday, then won a shoot-off to become the first girl to win the Cornhusker Trapshoot. “I stayed content,” she said about her mind-set entering the shoot-off. “I was already there. I just needed a bigger accomplishment to win. “I don’t get nervous or anxious,” she …