LINCOLN, Neb. — The 2020 Hunting and Fishing R3 Summit is going virtual this year, streaming live over Zoom from 10 a.m. to noon CST Aug. 5. Register at OutdoorNebraska.org/r3summit on or before Aug. 2 to receive the virtual meeting Zoom link via email. Those unable to attend will be able to watch a recording of the summit online at a later date. “We hope this adjustment will allow more people and organizations to tune in live,” said Jeff Rawlinson, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A pilot program is providing Nebraska women the opportunity to purchase subscription boxes designed to help them develop and expand their outdoor skills. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; and Iowa Department of Natural Resources have joined Becoming an Outdoors-Woman and Women in the Outdoors in creating this opportunity. Each subscription box, which will include gear, educational resources, field guides and more, can be purchased for $50. No long-term commitment …

LINCOLN, Neb. — Rock Creek Lake State Recreation Area and Rock Creek Hatchery in Dundy County are closed until further notice after a Thursday night storm washed out access roads. The storm dumped enough rain that Rock Creek Lake rose 10 inches, said Beau Licking, Enders and Rock Creek Lake SRA superintendent. The north entrance to the state recreation area, sections of Rock Creek Lake Road to the hatchery, and portions of roads within the park are impassable. Park staff …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert for harmful algal blooms, also known as toxic blue-green algae, has been issued at Rockford Lake in Gage County and Wagon Train Lake in Lancaster County. Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County remains on alert. The alert has been removed at Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County. Visitors to Rockford, Wagon Train and Willow Creek state recreation areas should avoid full-body contact activities that could lead to swallowing water, such as swimming, wading, skiing or …

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has launched an outdoor discovery adventure at its Venture Parks system, a network of four parks nestled in the Platte River Valley between Omaha and Lincoln. This adventure was designed to take participants to all four parks — Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks and Louisville and Schramm Park state recreation areas — to discover six of their unique gems and find the answers to clues revealed in the …

LINCOLN, Neb. — The floating playground at Louisville State Recreation Area will reopen for use July 17 as part of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s continuing effort to restore park opportunities and amenities across the state. The playground, one of the only floating obstacle courses in the region, will operate at about half capacity, allowing 55 people access at one time. “We are excited to restore this popular opportunity for outdoor recreation this summer,” said Parks Division Administrator Jim …

ASHLAND, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Go Ape, the nation’s premier Zipline & Adventure Park company, opened two new additions to the already popular Treetop Adventure course at the Eugene T. Mahoney State Park on July 11. The new activities — the Treetop Journey course and Monkey Drop freefall activity, give guests of all ages more opportunities for aerial adventure. It is a welcome addition to the robust amenities already available to families at the state …

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recently received a $250,000 award from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to help landowners complete grassland habitat improvements on 45,000 acres of private lands across Nebraska. Game and Parks and Pheasants Forever will co-lead the project known as the Grassland Enhancement Initiative, which will help landowners implement prescribed fire, tree removal, herbicide application, disking, grazing, or herbaceous seeding, among other habitat improvement practices. In doing so, the initiative will counter threats to …

LINCOLN, Neb. — In order to allow for the maximum number of anglers and their boat trailers at the Plum Creek Wildlife Management Area, the south central Nebraska site closed to camping permanently July 10. The wildlife management area was designed as a fishing access point, not for overnight camping and has no site amenities. Due to the management area’s size and limited parking availability, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will prioritize boat and fishing access to the waterway there. …

LINCOLN, Neb. — A 34-year-old Exeter man was seriously injured at Branched Oak State Recreation area on Friday, July 3, 2020, after a firework exploded in his hands. As of Saturday, he is in serious, but stable condition. The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. at the state recreation area when he attempted to discharge a mortar-style firework while holding it near his chest. He sustained injuries to his chest, arms and hands, and was taken by rescue squad to Bryan …