Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/606672
Who owns and takes care of the wild fi sh swimming in the Platte River, Lake McConaughy or any pond or stream in Nebraska? We do! The citizens of Nebraska are the owners and keepers of all the fi sh, frogs, crayfi sh and other aquatic wildlife that live in our waters. The responsibility to ensure equitable, sustainable and responsible use of wildlife resources also belongs to Nebraska citizens. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is tasked by the citizens of Nebraska to manage their wildlife. Who pays for the management of the aquatic wildlife swimming in Nebraska? We do! More specifi cally, the anglers that purchase fi shing permits pay for the fi sheries management practices used to ensure healthy and abundant aquatic wildlife. Anglers pay for the management of the parks and natural places in which our aquatic wildlife exists. Anglers are the citizens that make quality fi sheries possible for all Nebraskans. The citizen-ownership-of-wildlife concept was established early in our nation's development. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was recognized that many of the United States' animal species were under threat of extinction. To aid in the protection of animals, the Pitman-Robertson Act of 1937 placed an excise tax on fi rearms and ammunition that is solely used for the protection and restoration of animals and their habitats. Due to its popularity and success, in 1950 the Dingell-Johnson Act (also called Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration) placed an excise tax on sport fi shing equipment (rods, reels, fi shing line, lures, etc.). Sport Fish Restoration funds are returned directly to the states based upon a formula that includes the number of fi shing permits sold. The reimbursement returned to Nebraska per permit is approximately equal to the value of each permit sold. This publication was paid for by Sport Fish Restoration funds specifi cally dedicated to Aquatic Education. Fisheries management is a very simple term for broad responsibilities. Game and Parks Fisheries Division management team is active in the study of Nebraska's aquatic habitats and organisms, water resources, human interactions and education. Typical annual duties of a Game and Parks fi sheries management biologist: Collecting fi sh to check on fi sh health, size, abundance and variety is an enjoyable duty of any fi sheries biologist. This is CHAPTER 9 MANAGEMENT THE NORTH AMERICAN MODEL OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION The motivation for the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation had its origins in the 19th century with sportsman's concerns over the extinction and near extinction of several species. This model rests on two basic principles; Fish and Wildlife belong to all U.S. Citizens, and Fish and Wildlife should be managed so their populations are present forever. 43 CHAPTER 9 ● MANAGEMENT