From an Arkansas newspaper article this weekend comes the news that the Corps of Engineers is looking into leasing campgrounds on three lakes in Arkansas to commercial operators.
The time to send 'em your opinion is likely past us, but the change will affect all who look to Corps, NPS, and other taxpayer-funded properties for recreation and holding off private development of everything as a solution to tight budgets.
VernM
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When O.C. CA went bankrupt in 1994, they leased out Featherly Park to a private concessionaire who renamed it Canyon R.V. Park. The prices there may be higher now, but the park is much nicer, well maintained, pleasant office staff, etc. Maybe it will be the same in your area.
COE did this a number of years ago at Raystown Lake in Penna. COE had 2 campgrounds on the lake for tenting and RV use. Contracted and leased out one of them. What a shame. They brought in water slides, and anything else you could imagine. Prices reflected the so-called upgrades. After all is said, the contract outfit has become the middleman, so it is just another mouth to siphon off money. Kind of funny the way it pans out during the season. The Pittsburgh and Philly city slickers bite on the "resort", while the rest of us all go for the COE operated Seven Points. Tell COE to take the contract and go pound sand with it. As you said, it is probably too late now, as COE holds situations like this very close to the vest. COE OPERATED campgrounds are some of the best and nicest we have ever used in 35 years of RVing.
Quote: COE OPERATED campgrounds are some of the best and nicest we have ever used in 35 years of RVing.
Were. The Corps, like NPS and all, are victims of the "Let Private Business show you how." Biggest failure, in my opinion, was allowing the Canadian company that is now happily soaking off money on every reservation (ReserveAmerica, et. al.) in the door. It is in their best interest, as it is with any for-profit, to find ways to boost their income. Nothing altrusitic. No vision of enhancing quality. Just find ways to bill more and profit more.
That wasn't what Teddy Roosevelt had in mind, I'm sure. And, as noted, it will turn the taxpayers investments into glitzy parking lots for the affluent.
VernM wrote: From an Arkansas newspaper article this weekend comes the news that the Corps of Engineers is looking into leasing campgrounds on three lakes in Arkansas to commercial operators.
The time to send 'em your opinion is likely past us, but the change will affect all who look to Corps, NPS, and other taxpayer-funded properties for recreation and holding off private development of everything as a solution to tight budgets.
I missed the article; which campgrounds are they considering?
As far as "tight budget", guess the state must have blew thru the huge surplus already? That sure didn't take very long!
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That would be a shame. We just discovered COE parks last year and they're quite nice - at least the ones still under public administration. Once they go to RV "resort" with water parks, etc., we're outta there.
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