2018 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 27
P R O G R E S S M A D E T O W A R D B E R G G R E N
P L A N H A B I T A T G O A L S
Nebraska's Berggren Plan – a five-year initiative aimed at improving the pheasant
hunting experience in the state of Nebraska – is now in its third year, and Game and
Parks is well on its way to meeting many of the goals laid out in the plan.
Improving habitat for upland gamebirds is one primary objective. As of late
November 2018, staff had conducted habitat restoration or enhancement work on
more than 20,000 acres within priority areas. Much of this work (approximately
13,500 acres) included the establishment and management of Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) tracts. Additionally, management of existing grasslands included tree
removal on about 600 acres, and the use of prescribed fire on more than 5,000 acres.
Many other acres of upland bird habitat across the state were improved through
partnerships with Pheasants Forever, the Natural Resource Conservation Service,
and several Game and Parks programs including the Nebraska Natural Legacy
Project and the Wetland Improvement Program. The Berggren Plan, along with other
conservation programs and the Open Fields and Waters Program, is providing great
habitat for upland gamebirds, flexible and profitable options for landowners, and
great upland game hunting opportunities for our hunters.
