Commissioners Approve Funding for Shooting Range Projects - Tom Keith
Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioners approved the 2006 -2007 Shooting Range Grants and addressed a number of other issues at a May 24 meeting in Bassett.
The commissioners approved four proposals for funding by the Shooting Range Grants Program, which provides federal funds to private shooting ranges and sports clubs in Nebraska for the purpose of enhancing safety, reducing environmental impacts, developing new shooting facilities, enhancing existing facilities, providing greater accessibility by the shooting public, and improving the Hunter Education Program;
The approved proposals and the amounts of the grants were: Kearney Area Community Foundation, $30,000 to develop a new shooting range in the Kearney area; the City of Cody, $9,000 to develop a new trapshooting facility for a town in which 30 percent of the school is involved in the trapshooting program; the Lincoln Izaak Walton League, $8,500 to install overhead baffles on the 100 yard rifle range, the only rifle range of its type in Lancaster County; and Nebraska Trapshooting Association (NTA), $12,500 to replace one trap field in an effort to support a $300,000 project. The NTA replaced and upgraded all 24 trap houses and machines at the groups home range in Doniphan where more than 1,700 high school and junior high school students competed this year for state titles.
In other action, the commissioners:
– approved staff recommendations regarding dog training/trials and big game seasons and permits that were passed at previous Commission meetings but had to be revisited because of a technicality in administrative procedures;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend the 2006 fall turkey season;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to set regulations for the 2006 early teal season and youth waterfowl hunting season, approval for a September (experimental) Canada goose season, duck zone boundaries, and to establish the 2006 September falconry season;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to consider amendments concerning the jackrabbit hunting season;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to change hunting regulations on Conestoga and Twin Lakes wildlife management areas;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to change public use regulations at Sacramento Wildlife Management Area;
– approved a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing at the next meeting to amend state park regulations concerning camping, motor vehicle entry permits, and scuba diving;
– adopted a resolution that repudiates any linkage between the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project and a report issued by the Grassland Foundation entitled “Economic Benefits of Grasslands” that has language that some find suggestive of cumulative large-scale land acquisitions in Arthur County. The Commission does not endorse, support, advocate, or subscribe to the concept of large-scale land acquisitions in Arthur or any other county in Nebraska, and the Commission reaffirms its endorsement of the guiding principals of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project for voluntary and collaborative conservation action of privately held working landscapes and will continue to seek input from constituents that leads to greater understanding, improvement, and refinement of the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project;
– approved acquisition of the Bassett Shop Tract in Rock County that will replace a maintenance building next to the Commissions Bassett office and will be used as the District II shop and office;
– approved the Operating and Capital Improvement budgets for Fiscal Year 2006- 2007;
-- approved acquisition of the 256.22 acre Richard Tract of wildlife land located in Dawes County which will be designated as an addition to Bighorn Wildlife Management Area;
– adopted a resolution that directs staff to protect existing instream flow appropriations and to develop instream flow recommendations for the Niobrara River and its high-quality tributaries in fulfillment of the agencys stewardship responsibilities for the citizens of Nebraska.
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