A S S E S S I N G H U N T E R U S E O F
P U B L I C L A N D S
In the fall of 2014, Game and Parks and the Nebraska
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln began a three-year study of hunters using
public lands in Nebraska. Wildlife Management Areas and
private lands enrolled
in the Open Fields
and Waters program,
were surveyed by UNL
researchers or Game and
Parks staff about their
hunting experiences.
The surveys will
be used to improve
opportunities and access
on existing public hunting
lands, as well as to
help guide future land
acquisitions and access
programs. Researchers
surveyed nearly 400
sites and interviewed
approximately 500
hunters in 2014. These and future surveys will shed more light
on how hunters are using public land.
C O O L - W A T E R S T R E A M M A N A G E M E N T
Game and Parks is collaborating to create a comprehensive
plan to conserve cool-water stream resources in Nebraska.
There are 4,600 miles of cool-water streams in Nebraska, most of
which are found in the Sandhills and northwest part of the state.
The plan will include approaches to improve streams on private
and public lands, improvements to streams with at-risk fish
species and trout, stream evaluation protocols, and additional
research needs. One of our goals is to provide technical and
financial resources to private landowners that want to improve
and highlight their existing high-quality streams, and who are
willing to further conserve this unique resource.
2014 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 13
