Residents air concerns over lake issues

Friday, September 20, 2019

McCOOK, Neb. — Southwest Nebraska’s Unicameral representative said concerns about a particular state agency are among the most common comment he hears from constituents.

“I have talked to many Nebraskans who have expressed concern about the challenges the Game and Parks Commission has with handling all of their responsibilities,” State Sen. Dan Hughes told a full room as he opened the public hearing on interim study LR142 in McCook Thursday. A similar hearing occurred on Wednesday in Scottsbluff.

The commission is responsible for the regulation and management of hunting and fishing in the state and for the regulation and management of all state park facilities. “My goal with this hearing is to give citizens and the commission the opportunity to express their concerns and to ask and answer questions.”

Hughes said that one of his concerns was the makeup of the board of commissioners for Game and Parks and whether they were representative of the state as a whole. “I have often heard from constituents that the commission seems to be more focused on the eastern part of the state with regard to facilities and wildlife management. Perhaps we need to evaluate the makeup of the commission and the qualifications of its members to ensure a more balanced representation.” The volunteer commission is appointed by the governor and is made up of nine representatives, one from each of eight districts plus one member at large.

Hughes also said that he was concerned about the management of the parks areas, in particular, Lake McConaughy near Ogallala. “The popularity of the lake has grown and the local economy has benefited from the influx of visitors. Lake McConaughy is the second largest tourist attraction in the state of Nebraska. However, the number of incidents involving alcohol, drugs and violence has grown as well. . . . We know the lake makes money for the commission. We need to talk about whether the necessary amount is spent on regulation and law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety.”

A couple of citizens testified that they had bad experiences at Lake McConaughy, particularly on holiday weekends. “I was afraid for my life,” Tony Spilneck of McCook testified about his experience two years ago at McConaughy.

Hughes also wanted to discuss improvements focused in the western part of the state. Hughes said that he has observed overgrown weeds, poor bathroom and campground conditions, and unmaintained roads at parks in western Nebraska. “At the same time, we hear about new high-profile projects for recreation in eastern Nebraska. We should discuss how these decisions are made, the justification for choosing to improve one park over another, and whether the state should spend money on projects that compete with private industry.”

Heath Bortner, who farms next to Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook, testified that roads and campsites on the west end of the lake used to be mowed but that has not happened in several years. One campsite, known as Bortner Grove, has weeds that are 12 feet high according to Bortner. “When hunters come in, they put as much care into it as the Game and Parks does.” He said that the 12-foot high weeds send a message that no one cares about the property, so hunters don’t bother to pick up litter or take care not to tear up the roads. He said that the fences have not been maintained and roads are in dis-repair. Because it’s “in the middle of no-where” there is no law enforcement presence. The problem is getting worse, according to Bortner.

Many participants who testified at the hearing were concerned about Hughes’ fourth concern, the management of wildlife that cause damage to agricultural crops. Game and Parks has programs available to farmers to address depredation issues, but many felt that they were not well publicized, under-utilized, and ineffective. There are several obstacles that cause the deficiencies.

Scott Smathers, Executive Director of Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation said that less than 40 percent of the doe tags are filled. He went on to say that many hunters are “searching for racks” and are not interested in shooting does, which is key to managing the deer population and the damage they cause to crops. He said that sportsmen spend almost $300 million in the state annually.

Pat Molini, Depredation Manager for Nebraska Game and Parks, said that he needs to hear from landowners to make the programs better. He said that 90-day Damage Control Permits are available to landowners, which can be renewed. He said that staff have been trained in customer service, meetings have been held across the state with landowners, and antlerless kill permits have been increased. He said his department has cooling trailers available to utilize the meat in warmer months and they have outlets available for the meat. He said that Game and Parks have sharp-shooters available free to the landowner, although he did admit that their staffing resources are limited and they can’t provide the service for everybody.

Several ag producers testified, asking the commission to consider compensating producers for damage. They also offered suggestions that would make granting permission for hunting more attractive to landowners.

One is addressed in LB126, which would allow landowners to start hunting a week early. Robert Forch testified, “My two sons have never shot a trophy buck. If we could go out a week early and fill our permit, then when Joe Blow in town calls me and says can I hunt, I am way more apt to say yes. Otherwise, the way it stands now, I’d say no, not until my kids get their deer.” He also said that the human consumption requirement on Depredation Permits makes it hard to fill the permits. “I could not find anybody that would come out in August in the middle of flies and mosquitoes that wanted to gut a deer.” He went on to say that he utilized the sharp-shooter program and removed six deer from his cornfield. However, he pointed out that the cost to Game and Parks of the sharpshooter program was not cost effective.

Joe Anderjaska, Hayes and Frontier County farmer and rancher, agreed that “everybody wants to shoot a buck”. He asked the committee to consider letting landowners be issued permits and the ability to sell the permits to the public. “We are the people who are raising and feeding all the wildlife.” In addition to the damage that deer cause to crops, he also expressed concern about what would happen if disease passed from the deer to his cattle. He testified that he had a bull sold that was to go to Argentina. The bull tested positive for Bluetongue, a deer disease according to Anderjaska, which meant it couldn’t be exported. He is concerned about a foot and mouth disease outbreak. The deer population would make it impossible to isolate and control. He also pointed out the damage to vehicles and farm equipment when deer collisions occur.

Several other landowners echoed previous sentiments and offered suggestions for ways to compensate landowners that would also benefit hunters, outfitters, and the local economy. Mark Fritsche put some hard numbers to the cost of the damage his operation has sustained, and it is increasing year to year. “You can’t truly appreciate the damage until you see it in person,” Fritsche said. He also expressed support for LB126. “If I’m raising them [deer], my kids ought to be able to get the best of them.”

Ted Gans said that wildlife is a natural resource in the area and landowners need to manage access to hunting to help control the population. He agreed that hunters, especially from out of state, want the bucks, but he felt that landowners need to require that hunters take does as well as buck.

Attending the hearing were committee members, Sen. Hughes, Sen. Gragert (District 40) from Creighton; Sen. Quick (35) from Grand Island, and Sen. Halloran (33) from Hastings. LR142. Members not in attendance were Bostelman (23), Albrecht (17), Geist (25), and Erdman(47).

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