U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground workers in East Texas were put on a roller coaster this week.
Corps of Engineers staffers began notifying work campers Monday, June 21, that budget cuts were forcing them to close several East Texas campgrounds as of October 1.
Those orders changed abruptly again on Wednesday, June 22. RVtravel.com called Bradford Grems, a natural resources specialist at the Corps’ Lake O’ the Pines facility near Jefferson, Texas. Grems told RVtravel.com that he had been told just an hour earlier that funding for the campgrounds had been restored and all the Corps’ campgrounds would continue regular operations uninterrupted.
“I don’t know who did what, but we did get the money to continue operations,” Grems said. “The budget was restored.”
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Having been a budget analyst for the COE and other federal agencies for 12 years this sounds funny. Funding comes from the budget that Congress hasn’t passed for 20 years (kidding but close) and they use continuing resolutions that are passed after 1 Oct. Some funds might have been diverted from one place to another. Usually calls to congressional rep will change that. Corps campgrounds are great. Many have been turned over to contractors to operate but still make them a good deal.
I hear the corp campgrounds are some of the best designed campgrounds out there. Rather than close is it not possible to just increase the rates and look to be profit neutral or positive, thus removing budget issues?