OutdoorNebraska

Communities should start by considering how wetlands could play a role in the outdoor recreation they offer. Identifying where wetlands are located in relation to the community and outdoor recreation resources is a good place to begin this process. Once the location of wetland sites are identified, determining if they are public or private property would be the next step. If the wetland area is on public property, there may be additional opportunities to provide recreation to the citizens of a community. For example, evaluating a current trail system and outdoor recreation areas that could connect wetlands and the amenities they offer would be one way to ensure a community is using these valuable recreation resources and services. The site could include education and interpretation elements along the trail to help the public understand the importance of wetlands and the services they offer to the environment. If the wetland is on private property, a community could reach out to the landowner to determine if hunting, angling, or wildlife viewing opportunities could be made available to the public. As mentioned previously, there are organizations that offer conservation opportunities for wetland sites, which makes it advantageous for landowners to adopt wetland areas on private property as conservation locations in exchange for a monetary benefit. The OFW program discussed earlier in this chapter is one way NGPC is offering opportunities to expand the recreational use of private properties for the public. 48 2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 5 STAT E W I D E C O M P R E H E N S I V E O U T D O O R R E C R E AT I O N P L A N Lake Seldom Wetland Restoration Project The City of Holdrege, in Phelps County, provides a great success story where a wetland restoration project in the Rainwater Basin improved quality of life for residents and the wildlife that use the wetland area as a place to rest and feed. Approximately 325 acres of greenspace were added to the city through this wetland and grassland project. This restoration provides recreation and education options and also many ecosystem services such as groundwater recharge, flood control, filtering of agricultural chemicals and sediment runoff, and wildlife habitat. The restoration involved filling the large concentration pits, removing dikes and fill material that had been placed in the wetland, and re-establishing an upland buffer around the wetland. In addition to the wetland restoration, public use infrastructure was developed, including a parking lot, hiking trail that used funding from the Recreational Trails Program, and informational kiosk to serve as self-guided education and interpretation about the wetland area, and informational signage. The project is unique because of the eventual ownership of the wetland by a non-wildlife entity, the City of Holdrege; and the combination of programs funding the restoration. The community got involved with the project because they saw the value in providing environmental, educational, recreational, and aesthetic values to the community. This is one way communities can capitalize on wetland areas to address the need for a balance between open space to recreate and the wetland's function as a spring migration habitat area. Partners in this effort – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Tri-Basin Natural Resource District, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, Ducks Unlimited, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Nebraska Environmental Trust, Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Interpretive sign at Lake Seldom near Holdrege. (Phelps County) SUCCESS STORY

• Cover