30 2019 Annual Report
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Wildlife
E X P A N D I N G P U B L I C A C C E S S
O P P O R T U N I T I E S O N P R I V A T E L A N D S
Nebraska supports nearly one million acres of publicly-accessible lands, much in part to
the continued growth of the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program. Nebraska is over 97%
privately-owned and increasing access to private lands continues to be one of the agency's
primary objectives. OFW provides financial incentives to private landowners willing to allow
walk-in hunting, trapping and/or fishing. The program has grown during each of the last four
years, and current (2019-2020 hunting seasons) enrollment totals nearly 347,000 acres – a
record for the program. Since 2016-17, over 113,000 acres have been added to OFW, a 48%
increase. In recent years, new OFW enrollments have been targeted within the eight Berggren
Plan priority areas in an effort to increase public hunting opportunities for pheasants
and other upland gamebirds. Since the Berggren Plan was initiated in 2016, public access
opportunities have increased by 93% within these priority areas. Over the past two years, we
also targeted additional prairie grouse hunting opportunities, expanded our Canyons Access
Initiative and the deer and turkey opportunities it provides, while seeking out additional
northern bobwhite opportunities during a time of high quail populations.
Brandi Niemoth is the first female to complete the Upland
Slam two years in a row. This photo was sent to the
Commission's Facebook page.
Harold Charles sent in this Upland Slam photo to the
Commission's Facebook page.
