Comment cards were available at each open house for people to fill out and turn in before leaving the meeting, or mail to the Bureau of Reclamation at a later date. In addition to asking for comments, each card requested that the reservoir(s) and the area(s) of reservoir management that the comments pertained to be indicated. The choices for reservoirs offered were: Enders, Swanson, Harry Strunk (Medicine Creek), and Hugh Butler (Red Willow). The choices for management areas were: Recreation, Wildlife, Fisheries, and Other.

The following comments are grouped according to which reservoirs and areas of management were selected on each comment card. For example, under "Enders/Recreation, Fisheries" will be comments from cards on which these items were chosen.

Comments cards that have been or will be mailed in will be added to this list as they are received.

Enders/Recreation:

1. "Would like to see the Cow Beaches at the West end of Enders opened up again. Should not allow driving on the beaches. Have a designated parking area close to the beaches to allow people to use them."

2. "Need access to cow beaches other than with a boat. These are the best beaches on the lake for children to swim. I think there should be parking above and major fines for those driving on the beach."

3. "Cow beaches all opened back up. (Sand beaches are beautiful!) Put fence up along top so vehicles can't drive down. But places opened up for people (to have) access to beaches. Parking lots made at top for people to park on top. Roads opened back up on South side of dam for camping.

"By closing all these things, you're ruining all the families getting together to enjoy

camping at our lake."

4. "Concerned about access to beaches, especially Dart's Bay, which has been one of the most popular with families. The Bureau says some of the most damage has been done here. But if the road is closed, you won't be able to get there without walking a mile.

"People and families should come before wildlife and conservation. The dam is the only recreation for this area. For 50 years it has been wonderful! Why has it been O.K. for 50 years and then now, suddenly, we can't use the roads?"

5. "Old concrete structures such as old elevator with steel re-bar sticking up and concrete bridge needs to be cleaned up and removed for safety. More recreational use now today than in the 50's when they left this debris there!

"Better water management during periods of drought! Do not drain it clear down!"

Enders/Recreation, Wildlife:

6. "If not for recreation, why all the money into RV parking and camping?"

7. "(1) I support the road closure on the West end of lake for wildlife habitat."

"(2) I would like to see the Cow beach road opened with controlled parking."

"(3) Please improve the boat dock situation."

Enders/Recreation, Fisheries:

8. "I am concerned because the three entities involved appear to be 'managing' autonomously and provoking quite a bit of dissension with the public. The closing of roads may be warranted at certain times of the year for hunting. Let's allow some summer recreation and allay the confrontation seen here. Popular areas do not have to be closed because there are laws on the books to 'manage' the abuse. I have never seen any abuses indicted. Let the hunters have it, then the campers/fishermen have it at the other times."

Enders/Recreation, Fisheries:

9. "Main concern is road closings. We have been denied access to Enders Lake unless by foot or boat. This is not fair to all people. The North beaches (best sand) have been closed for years. The West end trail closings just happened. I am a member of a lot of groups (hunting) and have yet to be told that any of us were polled."

Enders/Recreation, Wildlife, Fisheries:

10. "1. 3 weeks ago at Enders, backed boat down, let down motor - took out a chunk of motor.

"2. Can't even get a boat in now.

"3. Ice fishing - much safer sitting on land with 3 poles than on the ice with 5 poles.

"4. Game refuge is too big - no reason."

11. "Please reopen the camping bays on the South side of Enders, sections 4 and 9. These are good areas for the local people who like to camp but do not want to be packed in like sardines where people camp on the North side. I do agree that the extra hill climbing needs to be blocked off, but not the bays."

12. "I would like to see the Cow Beaches at Enders reopened to local vehicle traffic. Right now it is only accessible if you have a boat. Reopen the main road that was there and make 2 or 3 designated parking areas that are within walking distance to the beaches that have nice sand. The areas to the east and west are not accessible by walking where it is closed now."

Enders/wildlife:

13. "Protect the sand sage rare plant community on the North side of Enders."

Swanson/:

14. "Please get some control on Canadian thistle. Do not open up to grazing. Plant wheat or some other crop in 10 to 12 inch rows."

Swanson/Recreation:

15. "I am 85 years old and have been hunting turkey at the reservoir for 50 years. I am unable to walk a mile in to hunt!"

Swanson/fisheries, Other:

16. "Letting too much out of Trenton - running over into ditches at Culbertson. Hate to see fish dying. Roads not kept up around Swanson Lake."

Swanson/wildlife, Fisheries, Other:

17. "The road closures stink. The clubs say they want more privacy, less people. The common people don't agree."

Enders, Swanson/:

18. "1. Don't like skiers and jet skis (Enders) too close to shore (dumps minnow bucket).

"2. Why they have drained Swanson - ruined the lake. If want (to) irrigate down east, put in irrigation well like we do.

"3. If they think draining the lake is not serious wait till they lose the revenue. May not be hunting this year because levels are so low - Enders."

Enders, Swanson/Recreation, Wildlife, Fisheries:

19. "Thank you for closing roads at Enders hunting area. Keep our public lands pristine. The proposed dock area change is good. The 2000 summer dock arrangement did not work well. Take a look at a .24 caliber minimum on deer. Varmint bullets are not designed for deer even though they meet the requirements. Thanks."

Hugh Butler/wildlife:

20. "The burn did a great job this year. Burning should continue if done carefully."

Harry Strunk/wildlife:

21. "Keep the roads closed!"

22. "Agree with the road/trail closures made. Close more trails during big game (deer) season. Tired of people driving around and shooting at deer from vehicles and chasing deer."

Swanson, Hugh Butler, Harry Strunk/Recreation, Wildlife:

23. "I have young children and enjoy using lake area. Believe you are doing the right thing in closing the trails."

Swanson, Harry Strunk/wildlife:

24. "I was impressed by the results of the Red Willow burning in April. The grass improvement was tremendous. I am in favor of future burning."

All 4 SW Reservoirs:

25. "Keep all road closures that you have made. In fact consider closing more! Roads are disruptive to wildlife and create opportunities for littering and poaching. Learn to walk people!"

26. "Support unauthorized road closures. Years of doing the wrong thing (damaging resources) does not make it right."

All 4 SW Reservoirs/Recreation, Wildlife:

27. "Even if the water level is down, it still should be open all around the lake. Why close all the roads and trails. They don't seem to have any problem spending money on the eastern part of the state."

All 4 SW Reservoirs/wildlife, Fisheries:

28. "I hunt and fish all of the reservoirs. Thank you for your efforts to protect our resources by closing the four wheel drive trails."

All 4 SW Reservoirs/Recreation, Fisheries:

29. "Eastern Ne. gets all the money. To add insult to injury, now they are closing down roads around the dams. Eastern Ne. uses our dollars for family recreation back at the parks built in

Eastern Ne. Our families in this area can no longer enjoy the lakes. Look at Enders, how they have closed down beaches. Even those that enjoy fishing can no longer have easy access to the lakes from shore. Why didn't you call your meeting 'open houses' as they were."

All 4 SW Reservoirs/wildlife:

30. "Grazing should be continued. It doesn't hurt the habitat. I think it improves the wildlife habitat."

31. "Keep wildlife road closure."

32. "Keep the road closure for hunting."