LINCOLN — One of Nebraska’s oldest trees has died, and officials are blaming drought conditions.

The “Old Wolf Oak,” a burr oak with a 9.8-foot circumference located along a hiking trail at Ponca State Park, was estimated to be more than 380 years old.

The tree was a popular stop for park visitors, given that it was 223 years old when Nebraska became a state in 1867 and was a silent witness to the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804-06.

But Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials say drought conditions in eastern Nebraska have created large areas of dead or declining mature trees, including the stately oak.

The past two years have seen extreme drought across Nebraska, officials said. While native species like the bur oak are drought-tolerant, prolonged drought causes dieback in the c

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