Halsey Update

By Dan Nitzel, NOHVA Business Manager

HALSEY NEBRASKA – A considerable amount of activity is occurring that the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. 

          A new Recreation Manager has been hired.  Dan Frodsham joins us from Montana.  Dan was involved in several ATV and dirtbike trails projects in Montana.  We are glad to have him here in Nebraska!  Along with managing the camp grounds, one of Dan’s many jobs at the Bessey Ranger District will be to manage trails.  As soon as he arrived, he pieced together a proposal for maintenance and safety improvements to the Dismal River trail. 

          The proposal was submitted to the Nebraska Recreational Trails Program (RTP) committee.  In November, the proposal was submitted to the committee by the U.S. Forest Service, Bessey Ranger District a grant for $17,000 for trail maintenance and safety.  NOHVA is a partner in this project and has offered to contribute about $900 in funds as a match and has offered to organize NOHVA member volunteers to help with the project.   We are very excited about this project as the Dismal trail needs major maintenance and we hope that it will be approved by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in January.  

          Work on the project is expected to begin this spring.  The Forest Service is asking for some volunteers to help with the project.  We are hoping that we can organize some volunteers through NOHVA and the Halsey Trails Committee.  If you are interested, please let either us (NOHVA) know or contact Dan Frodsham at the Forest Service. 

          Dan Frodsham will also be busy this next year working on the new Travel Management Plan for Halsey and McKelvie National Forest.  The new Travel Management Plan will designate what trails will be allowed for motorized recreation. 

          Several decisions have been handed down from Forest Service officials in Washington concerning motorized recreational trails.  It is clear that in the next couple of years, motorized recreation will be limited only to designated routes and travel across open land will not be consistent (or allowed) with the new policy. 

          In order to meet this new policy, routes on Nebraska National Forest lands will need to be designated by the local Forest Service management.  To make the decisions which routes will be designated, local Forest Service management will have to determine the need for routes, the environmental impact of these routes, and if the routes can be properly maintained.  Other factors will play into the decision concerning if a route will be designated include local economic impact and conflicts with other forest users. 

          With all these factors that need to be considered, a number of interests will become involved in the designation process.  ATV and dirtbike trail users, along with other members of the public will be asked to become involved.  

          If there are some trails that you would like to see remain open, or maybe an area where you would like to see a new trail established, you should document your desires and mention it to Dan Frodsham or District Ranger Patti Barney.  NOHVA is in the process of documenting existing trails via GPS, but we may miss some routes.  For more information about NOHVA’s trail mapping work at Bessey, see a related article in the this news paper.   

          Since District Ranger Patty Barney has joined the staff at Bessey, a lot of  badly needed improvements have been made to the main camp ground. 

          Work has begun on a new business office for the Forest Service at Halsey.  The new office will be  in the Bessey Recreation Complex located on the former sites of the tennis court and play ground equipment.  The new office replaces the existing Forest office and nursery offices that were built in the 1920’s and will place the Forest Service staff closer to where the action is, the main camp ground. 

          The new office will have an impact to the camp ground as about nine camp spots located across from the Loup River will be closed.  This will make it a bit more difficult to find camp sites with electricity in the main camp ground.  So if you plan to camp there, make your reservations well in advance to get a spot.  Camp spots at the Bessey Recreation Complex can be reserved at www.reserveamerica.com .   There has been some talk to relocate some of the displaced camp sites to the area around and above the group camp ground. 

          The new office will also take a few parking spaces in the main parking lot in the camp ground. 

          A new bunk house has been completed at Bessey.  This will be used to house temporary and seasonal workers at the area.  It looks like a really nice place and the Forest Service workers certainly deserve it.  The new bunk house is located south of the maintenance shop located between the main entrance and the 4H camp.

          A new water system has been put in as well as a new sewage treatment facility.  There is talk about what to do with the swimming pool.  The swimming pool has a lot of leaks and is in need of repair.  The swimming pool is unique as it is one of two that is located in National Forests across the nation.        Unfortunately, the Nebraska National Forest’s budget has been cut to the bone and it is difficult to justify keeping the pool open at the expense of other more utilized programs, local towns have been asked to help fund the renovation of the pool.  Let’s hope they can come up with a funding plan to keep it open. 

          If you visit the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, stop in and say hello to Recreation Manager Dan Frodsham and District Ranger Patti Barney.  Both are very professional in their duties to their job and  the public and would be glad to hear from you!

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This page was updated on Tuesday, August 01, 2006