Governor Ricketts not directly involved with proposed Lake McConaughy plan

OGALLALA - Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts says he hasn't been approached by the Game and Parks Commission about a solution to safety concerns at Lake McConaughy near Ogallala.

While the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission doesn't report directly to the governor's office, Ricketts appoints the commissioners and they act independently.

He was pleased with the commissioners engagement with the businesses community and the residents around the Lake McConaughy region during an open house on Jan. 16. 

"The people in the area know what happened last summer can't be allowed to be repeated, so we got to make some changes," Ricketts said. "They just want to be a part of the process to make sure we're not damaging the local economy with regards to any new rules or regulations."

Ricketts encourages commissioners to come up with a solution to help address the way crowds are coming in, but do it in a way where they can continue to have a vibrant economy in Keith County. 

Game and Parks Commission voted to delay consideration of the proposed "Lake McConaughy Visitor Management Plan" at its meeting in Lincoln on Jan. 22. Staff will work with a McConaughy-area advisory group to come up with revisions to the proposed safety plan and present it at the Commission’s meeting on March 20 in Hastings.

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