NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/923510
WHAT DO WE WANT TO BECOME? T he Venture Parks concept began in 2014 when Douglas asked a small group of his staff a question: "Who are we and what do we want to become?" For years the state's 77 parks and recreation areas had offered various activities: horseback riding, swimming, fi shing, wildlife viewing and kayaking among others. But the group knew they would need to add exciting, family-friendly attractions to continue to draw visitors. "Because of the changing demographics and social norms of people in Nebraska and beyond, we decided that some portion of our state park system needed to be more than a walk in the park," said Douglas. The group knew that different people sought different experiences from the outdoors. Some wanted excitement, while others a spot where they could spend a tranquil afternoon. Douglas and his colleagues began to discuss what a new type of state park system might look like. "It was a small group of us in an outdoor setting," Commission Division Administrator for Parks Jim Swenson remembered, "and we started to ask each other questions: What made you want to come and work for the Nebraska Game and Parks? What caused you to love the outdoors? How do we capture these ideas and invigorate visitors to have those same outdoor desires?" Those conversations sparked plans and fundraising efforts to create new amenities at these four parks. As the projects began to take shape, Douglas and his team honed in on the logistics of overhauling these very popular parks. They hired a consultant who advised them how much visitation would have to grow and how much they would have to charge for new attractions to ensure the project would be fi nancially self-supporting. They decided to divide the project into four phases, adding new features and activities over the course of several years. They then embarked on an aggressive fundraising campaign to raise the estimated $35 million the new attractions are projected to cost. The fi rst people they approached was the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Board, whose immediate excitement for the project led the group to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, which has a mission of stewardship for Nebraska's outdoor and recreation resources. Dick Bell, the Commission Chairman and Foundation member, was key to what has been a successful fundraising effort. "Thanks to our innovative public-private partnership and many generous donors, the Venture Parks complex is becoming a reality," said Bell. The Nebraska Legislature in 2015 approved the estimated $35 million project and authorized $7.3 million of Commission cash funds to be used for the project. Together with the Foundation, the Commission approached private donors with the goal of raising nearly $28 million of the $35 million needed for the project. In 2016, ground broke on the Venture Parks complex. VENTURE PARKS • NEBRASKAland Magazine