The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved grant awards for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program and the Recreational Trails Program at its meeting Jan. 19 in Lincoln.
Commissioners approved the following grant awards, totaling more than $1.4 million, for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Stateside Assistance Program:
- Bowman Lake near Loup City, $208,657.90 for a new hike and bike trail;
- Chadron, $140,000 for new pickleball courts and a playground replacement;
- Lincoln, $600,000 for playground replacements at several parks;
- Ralston, $100,715 for new benches, bike rack and basketball court, and replacement of playground and picnic tables;
- Sutherland, $114,722.46 for a new multi-use court and playground;
- Alliance, $78,188.50 for a playground replacement; and
- Emerson, $175,000 for a pool rehabilitation and restroom refurbishment.
Funding from the LWCF comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior and federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Commissioners also approved the following recreational trail projects for federal funding through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP):
- Hickman, $130,216.80 to build the Scott’s Creek Trail, a 1,250-foot-long, 10-foot-wide concrete trail that extends an existing trail;
- Cedar Creek, $250,000 to build the Fitness Zone Trail, a 4,400-foot-long concrete trail to promote health and wellness;
- Curtis, $250,000 to refurbish approximately 1.2 miles of the Curtis Walking Trail by replacing deteriorating asphalt with an 8-foot-wide concrete loop trail near the golf course;
- Creighton, $250,000 to build a non-motorized, mile-long paved Creighton Community Park Walking Trail that is no less than 8 feet wide to link different park amenities;
- North Platte, $250,000 to build the Iron Horse Park Trail, which includes overlaying the existing north side 8-foot-wide by 2,528-foot-long asphalt trail with 2 inches of recycled material pavement, building an 8-foot-wide by 512-foot-long recycled material pavement over rock aggregate trail on the east, and creating a south-side trail linkage with a 10-foot-wide by 100-foot-long boardwalk and 283 feet of additional recycled pavement/aggregate trail to meet an existing sidewalk; and
- Hastings, $250,000 to build Phase 4A of the Pioneer Spirit Trail, an 18,321-foot-long concrete trail that will vary in width from eight to 10 feet.
Funding from the RTP comes from the Federal Highway Administration and is made possible by a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax paid by users of off-road recreational vehicles.
Also, the commissioners approved staff recommendations to:
- amend wildlife regulations to allow up to six people to apply on one application for certain big game draw permits, allow for internet and telephone checking of deer harvested during the November firearm season as an option to check stations, and clarify it is illegal to possess or sell, due to recent statute changes, any badger, bobcat, gray fox, long-tailed weasel, mink, opossum, raccoon, red fox, or skunk without a valid fur harvest permit.
- amend wildlife regulations to allow for elk hunting on the Clear Creek Wildlife Management Refuge Area portion until the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving and restrict weapons allowed to be used at Bur Oak WMA in Seward County.
The commissioners set the dates for their April meeting to April 24-25 at Ponca State Park.
The following reports were presented to the commissioners:
- Summary of 2023 efforts to minimize depredation issues
- Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (of hunters, anglers, boaters, park guests and shooting sports participants) progress report and summary of 2023 R3 Summit
- National Archery in the Schools Program update
- Salt Creek tiger beetle reintroduction efforts
- Big game harvest
Two volunteer hunter education instructors were honored at the meeting. Gary Brunberg of Omaha received the Heritage Instructor Award and Kevin Hennecke of Adams received a 30-year service award.
The commissioners elected their officers for 2024 as follows: Chairman, Doug Zingula, Sidney; Vice Chairman, John Hoggatt, Kearney; and 2nd Vice Chairman, Donna Kush, Omaha.