2016 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 7
within the POAs and FOP areas and many existing properties were replaced with
higher-quality sites. Approximately 225,000 acres were enrolled in OFW for the
2016-17 hunting season.
Excellent upland gamebird hunting opportunities exist on public lands in many
regions of Nebraska. Public access opportunities in the Southwest and South-
Central FOP areas increased by 6-12 percent compared to 2015-16 and were
highlighted on Pheasants Forever's "Rooster Road Trip" in November. Historically,
pheasant hunting provided a considerable economic boost to rural Nebraska.
Re-establishing this link between pheasant hunting and rural economies is also
a priority identified in the Berggren Plan. Staff have been exploring partnerships
with economic development and tourism groups and communities. These new
partnerships have provided opportunities for Game and Parks to share information
about the Berggren Plan and gather local support.
