DOGE cuts close popular Pennsylvania campground
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Hundreds of public campsites at the largest lake located entirely within Pennsylvania will be closed indefinitely due to staffing shortages caused by a recent federal hiring freeze.
Why it matters: Pennsylvanians have already started making reservations for their summer travels, and Raystown Lake is one of the most popular places to camp, boat, hike and hunt in the state.
Driving the news: Three campgrounds at Raystown Lake, located about 2.5 hours east of Pittsburgh, will be closed indefinitely due to staffing shortages, the Baltimore district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced last week.
- The corps elaborated on Wednesday in a Facebook post that recreational sites within the district rely heavily on seasonal staff to operate, and those positions are "currently subject to the Department of Defense hiring freeze."
Context: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates under the Department of Defense.
- Elon Musk's DOGE initiated a hiring freeze and cuts to the department starting in February.
By the numbers: Raystown Lake attracts more than 1 million visitors each year, said the Army Corps. It typically brings in $1.2 million in revenue every year, the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau told WPSU.
What they're saying: "The sad part of it is that it's being treated by the federal government as a cost saving measure, but they're overlooking the revenue that those campgrounds bring in," Matt Price, the bureau's executive director, told WPSU.
⛺️ Zoom in: Seven Points, Susquehannock and Nancy's Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds at Raystown Lake will remain closed until further notice, said the corps.
- That's about 375 campsites.
Yes, but: The Raystown Lake Visitor Center as well as day-use facilities such as beaches, overlooks, picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf courses and the mountain bike skills park will remain open.
- Concessionaires like Seven Points Marina and Raystown Resort will be in operation.
Zoom out: The corps announced that Tompkins Campground in Tioga-Hammond Lakes Recreation Area in Tioga County will also be closed due to staffing shortages.
- That includes its swim beach and boat ramp.
What's next: The corps is refunding campground reservations at these locations for the rest of the year.