Officials defend lake maintenance decisions

According to the Hitchcock County News, Roger Kuhn, Game and Parks assistant director, explained during the monthly meeting of the Game and Parks board of commissioners his organization's decision to make Red Willow Lake north of McCook a full-service lake and to reduce services at Swanson.

Kuhn said Game and Parks had an 11-person committee rate each state park, considering revenue generated compared to expenses, cost per visitor, income potential, tourism impact, historical and cultural impact, fishing and potential growth.

Kuhn said the committee wanted to retain at least two full-service lakes in each of the eight districts into which the state was divided.

Kuhn said that Game & Parks' decision to make Red Willow a full-service lake over Swanson also considered water levels and a backlog of deferred maintenance. Kuhn said that facilities at Red Willow are in better shape than at Swanson.

Kuhn is quoted, "The important thing to note is that we are not closing any of them (the state parks and lakes). Maybe things will be better in the next budget. We just can't do business as usual."

Rex Amack, Game and Parks director, told those at the Curtis meeting that Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed the state's new two-year budget, under which Game and Parks will receive 2.2 percent less in funding.

Amack said that while Game and Parks is not closing any parks, the only way it can operate all of its parks is to reduce services at some sites. Amack is quoted in the News, "We are not going to close them, but we are not going to be able to operate them at full service."