2014 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 39
O P E N F I E L D S A N D W A T E R S
The Open Fields and Waters Program allows public walk-in
hunting and fishing access to private lands. Sites enrolled in
the program total 282,000 land acres, 405 water acres and 41
river miles. All sites are annually published in a Public Access
Atlas. In 2014, a responsive Open Fields and Waters program
application was released to the public along with the atlas. The
application includes new sites, the ability to download PDF
map pages and get driving directions.
More Than Just Fish and Game
Public safety will always be a top priority for the Law Enforcement
Division. Conservation offi cers are often the fi rst ones called to
water-related boat accidents, missing
or stranded persons and drownings. A
sampling of the incidents includes:
• When tornados struck the Pilger area
in June, conservation offi cers were
called in to assist in transporting
rescue personnel into the area. After
a May tornado near Lincoln, offi cers
assisted local landowners in securing
and recovering property.
• Offi cers in an airboat rescued two kayakers stranded on the
fl ooded North Platte River.
• 15 conservation offi cers initiated a successful search for a
runaway youth at Platte River State Park.
• Offi cers were involved in a search for drowning victims at Lake
Minatare and the North Platte canal.
• Offi cers assisted in the capture of fl eeing criminals at Chadron
and Niobrara State parks. ●
