NGPC News

LINCOLN – Get out of the house this winter and spend some time viewing Nebraska’s bald eagles. They can be seen year-round across the state, but winter and early spring are the best times to see numbers of eagles. In the winter, there often are concentrations of bald eagles feeding on fish and sick or wounded waterfowl at reservoirs that have some open water. Favored sites include Sutherland Reservoir near Sutherland, Harlan County Reservoir near Alma, and below Gavins Point …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will seek a new food service provider at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park. The previous provider, Mahoney Grille, operated by Jeff and Emily Parker of Parker’s Smokehouse LLC, chose to not extend its contract option, ending services to the park effective Jan. 4, 2015. Mahoney Grille had provided food, beverage and catering services at the park since February 2012, operating the restaurant located within the Peter Kiewit Lodge. As of Jan. 5, …

LINCOLN – Learn about Nebraska’s successful reintroduction of the river otter at a free program Jan. 29 at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. Sam Wilson, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s furbearer and carnivore program manager, will tell how river otters once flourished in the state before being eliminated by unrestricted harvest and land-use changes. The river otter has expanded its population across much of the state since reintroductions began in 1986. The program begins …

LINCOLN – The elimination of the fish population at Independence Landing in Seward is scheduled for Feb. 2-3 as part of a renovation project by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The chemical rotenone will be applied to kill the fish in the 2-acre pond. The goal is to remove unwanted fish species, such as carp and bullhead, which entered the pond through flooding of the Big Blue River in 2014. These fish species are undesirable because they cause turbid …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider grant award recommendations for the 2015 Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program at its Jan. 15 meeting in Lincoln. The program provides funding for community outdoor recreation projects across Nebraska. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, ball fields, soccer fields, picnic facilities, playgrounds, park acquisition and development, shelter houses, trails and related support facilities. The program provides reimbursable matching grants for 50 percent of project costs. …

LINCOLN – Two shooting competitions will affect the public’s use of the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln on Jan. 10. The indoor archery range will be closed to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and the firearm range will be closed from 10 a.m.-noon. The center is located at 4703 N. 44th St. Indoor complex regular business hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from noon-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. …

LINCOLN – Spring turkey hunting permits will be available from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission starting at 1 p.m. Central Time on Jan. 12. The 2015 permit prices, not including issuing fees, are: resident turkey, $23; nonresident turkey, $95; and resident and nonresident youth turkey, $5. Youth permits are for hunters who are under age 16 on the opening day of the youth archery season. All turkey hunters, except residents under age 16, require a Nebraska Habitat Stamp. Visit …

ALLIANCE — Nebraska Game and Parks Commission staff members have opened the road to Blue Lake, providing access for ice anglers at the popular fishing spot 22 miles north of Oshkosh. The two-track trail has been closed since the beginning of firearm deer season in November because of poor ice and road conditions. It was opened Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 30, when Game and Parks fisheries staff surveyed the area and determined conditions to be improved. A lease agreement between the …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will post any notice ice conditions are deemed unsafe for the two Discover Ice Fishing clinics scheduled for January. The events are scheduled for Jan. 10 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s (SP) CenturyLink Lake and Jan. 17 at Kearney’s Yanney Heritage Park Lake. Both events are planned to take place from 1-4 p.m. Six inches of ice is required to conduct these free clinics. Ice conditions will be determined Jan. 7 …

LINCOLN – Pheasants Forever and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host prescribed burn training workshops for landowners across the state in the coming weeks. These workshops are for beginning to intermediate burners and cover fire behavior, proper equipment and safety techniques, as well as ways to plan for burns to minimize risk. All workshops are scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshop schedule is: – Jan. 15 – Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension Office, 444 Cherry Creek …