OutdoorNebraska

I've heard 2020 described as a year like no other, and that is certainly true in many respects. For some, it involved personal pain or tragedy, and our hearts go out to them. For most, it brought challenges of many kinds that took effort to overcome. For the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, it meant learning how to adapt and succeed at fulfilling our mission by doing things differently. We never wavered, however, on providing stewardship, access and opportunities, albeit in new ways, while making the safety of our employees and the public our top priority. In the spring, when COVID-19 hit Nebraska, we developed a detailed organizational response and communication plan. Throughout the remainder of the year, actions were taken out of an abundance of caution to provide for social distancing and to support local directed health measures. We made adjustments internally and in our public offerings. The Commission tagline is "Time Outdoors is Time Well Spent," and more persons than ever embraced that sentiment in 2020. Our state parks and recreation areas became the place for many to escape and seek security, comfort and therapeutic relief from COVID worries. In a hard year, people found solace in fishing, as fishing permit sales reached a 10-year high. In fact, information shows nearly 34,000 new anglers and about 36,500 lapsed anglers embraced the sport. Anglers said they were looking for safe ways to spend time with family and get in touch with nature, and more than 95% said they planned to continue to fish in the future. We have seen the same trends with hunters and permit sales. Big game hunters and landowners always have been stewards of the land and the wildlife that inhabits it. We continue to collaborate with both in the wildlife and big game management that supports the agricultural community. Game and Parks addressed depredation issues in 2020 and offered landowners use of our resources. We also surveyed landowners about deer, elk and antelope and met with them to better understand their issues; we and are developing new programs of support to assist them and mitigate wildlife crop damage. The challenges of 2020 also caused us to address internal and external communications in novel ways which, combined with traditional approaches, will continue to serve our employees, partners and the public for years to come. Zooming became widely used for internal and external collaborations and information sharing. "You're on mute" became a common refrain. Our newly developed Fish and Wildlife Education Division developed a multitude of innovative online outdoor learning opportunities for all ages, including curriculum for at-home students. Making Nebraska a better place to spend time outdoors takes planning. Early in the year — together with state and local leaders and community members — we enacted steps in the Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala Master Plan to address record visitation and strains on first- responders and the current infrastructure. These steps, included developing controlled access points, increasing law enforcement presence, and prohibiting the possession of alcohol. The goal of these steps was to make the recreation areas better, safer family-friendly destinations for visitors. I often tell people it is a pleasure to work for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission because we affect such a large segment of the public in so many positive ways. We are glad that we were able to overcome many challenges and continue to do so in innovative ways in 2020. We are proud to provide access, opportunity and stewardship of our natural resources, while supporting the future sustainability of outdoor recreation for all Nebraskans. More information on these important endeavors is included in this 2020 annual report. Thank you for your support of our important mission. lb i i Sincerely, James N. Douglas Director From the Director JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE

• Cover