NGPC News

LINCOLN – Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County has one operating boat ramp because of the low lake level due to drought and other factors. This ramp is located at Trail 3 in the northeast corner of the reservoir. While Nebraska Game and Parks Commission personnel have amended the lake bed and ramp with crushed concrete and limestone, boaters are encouraged to beware of underwater hazards and to use four-wheel drive vehicles. In addition, power loading and launching (using a boat’s …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has confirmed mountain lion presence in Alliance through video taken on the evening of Aug. 6 near the city landfill. Authorities are attempting to remove the animal and request that people remain outside of the landfill area. Game and Parks requests that anyone who observes a mountain lion in Alliance immediately contact the Alliance Police Department, the Box Butte County Sherriff’s Office, or Game and Parks.

LINCOLN – August is Veterans Appreciation Month at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. All veterans with proper identification may shoot for $5 per 30 minutes on Mondays during the month. In addition, archers can sight in their bows for just $5 on Fridays in August. The education center is located at 4703 N. 44th St. This family-friendly center is open to all shooters and archers and offers a wide range of workshops and other activities …

LINCOLN – Kylan Rhodes and Austin Denisse of Lincoln County won the 2014 Nebraska State High School Fishing Tournament on July 26 at Merritt Reservoir. The Lincoln County team, coached by Heath Denisse, weighed in a five-fish limit totaling 15.24 pounds. Second place went to Andrew Flair and Ethan Mally of Millard, coached by Dik Haneline, who caught five bass weighing 13.81 pounds. Mally also caught the tournament’s biggest bass at 4.51 pounds. Trevor and Sam Thomsen of Lincoln, coached …

LINCOLN – Twenty-one meat processors will participate in the 2014 Hunters Helping the Hungry program. Administered by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Hunters Helping the Hungry provides ground venison to Nebraskans in need. Deer hunters may donate deer at any contracted Hunters Helping the Hungry processor beginning with the start of the archery season on Sept. 1, 2014. The most up-to-date list of processors accepting deer for the program will be available at OutdoorNebraska.org/HHH. Participating meat processors include Amherst …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for bat conservation efforts. Game and Parks was one of 14 recipients of this year’s USFWS State Wildlife Grants. The grants, which were announced earlier this month, are awarded for large-scale conservation projects that cross state lines and yield measurable results to benefit imperiled species. Nebraska has partnered with Wyoming Game and Fish Department to protect habitat for eight imperiled …

LINCOLN – Several of Nebraska’s state park areas, captured on high-definition video by air, as well as by NEBRASKAland photographers, will be featured in the NET Television special “NEBRASKA Land & Sky.” The 60-minute program will broadcast Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. Central Time and repeat at 10 p.m. on NET1. The program includes sweeping aerial views of other Nebraska landscapes and attractions. Segments also showcase interviews and compelling events from around the state. The aerial video is complemented by …

LINCOLN — Step back in time Aug. 2-3 at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park’s (SHP) living history weekend. The 1820s-era military post will come alive with demonstrations of skills from a bygone era. Visitors will be able to witness various trades including blacksmithing, tinsmithing, carpentry and coopering, as well as period crafts of spinning, weaving and quilting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free. A valid Nebraska park entry permit is required for each vehicle entering …

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, in conjunction with Fulbright’s EcoLeadership Program, is pleased to announce two upcoming educator workshops focusing on bats. The workshops, open to K-12 grade educators in Nebraska, will educate teachers about the natural history of bats, as well as their importance to the ecosystem and how to help in their conservation. Teachers can learn how to incorporate the study of bats into their science curriculum and will receive a variety of educational resources …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in August: Aug. 1 – Squirrel season opens Aug. 1 – Bat workshop, Homestead National Monument, Beatrice, 3-10 p.m. Aug. 1 – Final day for bighorn sheep lottery applications Aug. 2 – National Park Service Outdoor Event, Niobrara State Park (SP), Niobrara, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 402-857-3373 Aug. 2-3 – Living History, Fort Atkinson State Historical Park (SHP), Fort Calhoun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 402-468-5611 …