More than 425 popular campsites across Pa. are closed indefinitely due to DOGE cuts

[highplainsdem]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Several federally-operated campgrounds at one of Pennsylvania’s most popular summer destinations will be closed indefinitely due to “executive-order driven staffing shortages.”

Raystown Lake, in Huntingdon County, is the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania. The 8,300-acre lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps Engineers and, according to a news release from the agency’s Baltimore office, staffing shortages will require staff to focus on “dam operations for flood protection and emergency response readiness” ahead of the 2025 season.

According to the Army Corps, the lakes Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds will all be closed until further notice. All told, more than 300 campsites will be closed as a result of the announcement, including boat-in only sites.

-snip-

In addition, further north in Tioga County, Tompkins Campground on Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes will also close, along with its swim beach and boat ramp. Tompkins has approximately 125 sites.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-campgrounds-doge-federal-cuts-20250319.html

[Deuxcents]

1. Sorry, kids. Camping in the backyard is the best thing for a summer vacation

[SunSeeker]

2. Trump wants to open up those campgrounds to fracking/oil drilling.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2025/02/07/national-park-monument-oil-gas-energy-risk/78245755007/

[Wiz Imp]

11. That article has nothing to do with the campsites in Pennsylvania which the OP was about.

[SunSeeker]

17. Yes it does. It covers federal lands not explictly designated as National Parks (like Yosemite NP)

Like Bears Ears, or these campgrounds in PA. Burgum wants everything investigated for drilling.

There are 433 units within the National Park System. All of them are referred to as national parks, but only 63 of those have national park in their name, like Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone. Those 63 are protected in perpetuity by Congress.  

[Wiz Imp]

18. Sorry, but you're wrong.

Raystown Lake is not part of the National Park System but is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District (.mil) for flood control, recreation, and natural resources. It is not one of those 433 units mentioned in the article.

Same deal with the sites in Tioga County - also managed by USACE - not part of the National Park System.

[SunSeeker]

20. Sorry, but you're wrong, sadly.

Because it is not actually designated a National Park (simply being land within the Parks system or BLM doesn't protect it), Burgum could consider it for possible drilling there. You just confirmed my point. That PA campground is not a National Park; being one of the 433 units does not save it:

There are 433 units within the National Park System. All of them are referred to as national parks, but only 63 of those have national park in their name, like Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone. Those 63 are protected in perpetuity by Congress.  

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2025/02/07/national-park-monument-oil-gas-energy-risk/78245755007/

[Wiz Imp]

21. It is NOT one of the 433 units. Has 0 connection to the parks system.

Repeating from my prior post:

Raystown Lake is not part of the National Park System but is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District (.mil) for flood control, recreation, and natural resources. It is not one of those 433 units mentioned in the article.

Besides, go look up maps of the area, there is absolutely nothing to drill for around Raystown. Absolutely nothing.

All of this is far beyond the original point which is that article has 0 application to Pennsylvania, and no matter how many times you try to claim otherwise, you are wrong.

[SunSeeker]

23. So that means Burgum will have even less hesitation to consider these federal lands for drilling.

The whole point of that article is that all federal lands except those specifically designated as one of our 63 National Parks will now be considered for drilling.

I really don't know why you're missing the point of the article. I did all I could to explain it to you. I am not wrong. It's right there in black and white in the article.

Unfortunately, there is something to drill for there. PA has a lot of oil shale land. Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum is a big fracking guy. This campground at the serpentine-shaped Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County is within a very large, wide finger of Marcellus Shale:

[Wiz Imp]

24. I'm done. Why bother. I know the truth.

[SunSeeker]

33. No you don't. I provided links and authority for everything I said. Maps don't lie.

[jayschool2013]

3. Camp in front of the White House

with a bullhorn.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Reserve Canadian camp sites now. No tariff tax on Canadian eggs you fry over the campfire here :)

No tariff tax on Canadian beer in your belly!

[Cha]

5. Those in PA who voted for this Can Thank the Deranged

Idiot you voted for.

How's Fetterman liking this?

[Efilroft Sul]

26. He's too busy meeting with Netanyahu and getting a silver pager for his support of Israel. No bullshit.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-hosts-fetterman-in-jerusalem-gifts-us-senator-silver-pager-inspired-by-hezbollah-op/

[Cha]

28. Yeah I saw that... wonder how the PA voters

will feel about him in 2028?

TY

[Efilroft Sul]

36. I'm one of them. In fact, I'm only a few miles away from where he was mayor.

Needless to say, I'm not happy with him cozying up to MAGA.

[SergeStorms]

6. The MAGAts won't like that.

They love sitting around a campfire, drinking beer, and talking tough about those librul "DemonRats." 🤪

Now they'll have to come up with some tall tale blaming Joe Biden and Black Lives Matter protestors for closing their favorite campground.
I did my fair share of camping when I was young, and back then I'd say it was 75% republiCAN'TS in attendance. The longhairs like myself had to huddle together in one spot. Safety in numbers, and all that. Think George Hansen in Easy Rider. 😉

[John1956PA]

9. You are correct. At Raystown Lake campgrounds, the trailers and campers were packed in like sardines.

Summertime camping in that crowded venue has been a tradition with many GOP families for generations. The closure of those campsites is going to stun them.

[Deminpenn]

35. Yep

Hunting, fishing, camping, summers or weekends at the lake are a big deal in the rural, red parts of Pennsylvania.

[Amaryllis]

7. Why? What point does it serve?

[Wiz Imp]

14. They have to shut down the campsites because they don't have enough staff to oversee them

What staff they have needs to focus on dam operations and flood control.

[DENVERPOPS]

8. Teddy Roosevelt

is rolling over in his grave..............

[MayReasonRule]

10. Freedom Don't Ya Know...

[Botany]

12. Trump's Florida golf weekends are costing taxpayers $18m, report says - as he hits the links again

Attn PA Red Neck trailer camping MAGA shits,
Have you seen any face eating leopards? Trump has been golfing 13 of his 45 days in office.
Or more than 25% of his time. (29%)

https://www.aol.com/news/trump-florida-golf-weekends-costing-185930419.html

The outlet claims, citing costs from a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, that the president’s apparent insistence on spending his weekends (six out of seven so far) in Florida has now cost American taxpayers in excess of $18 million.

During his first term in office, the total for these trips was put at $151.5 million over four years, with the first four trips costing $3,383,250 each in 2017 dollars — a sum that given inflation will have now increased.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Not to worry: Camp David is still open for business, as is the golf course at Andrews AFB

I'm sure the first family thinks Camp David is a dump. No golden toilets.

[Wiz Imp]

15. Both locations of these lakes and campsites are ultra-MAGA areas

Huntingdon County and Tioga County both voted for Trump by a margin of 75% to 24%

[LisaL]

16. It's a shame MAGAs won't be able to go camping.

[Clouds Passing]

25. They trash the campgrounds anyway.

[EarthFirst]

19. MAG-UH is fit to be pissed when they cannot launch their bass boats this summer...

…fuck ‘em!

“Have the day you voted for…”

[DBoon]

27. Musk thinks people who rely on public services are parasites

If they can't afford a private country club, they have no business being outdoors.

[jalan48]

29. A shrinking of the Commons. Public lands are going to be sold or given to private entities.

[Initech]

30. God this man and his shitty department are the epitome of pure fucking evil.

[kacekwl]

31. I hope rangers are putting

up signs "Park closed by President trump for no good reason. Enjoy your vacation."

[Figarosmom]

32. This is too bad

It's going to make a long hot summer with nothing to do for a lot of people. Including a lot of magas.

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

34. It is my hope that these sorts of consequences are what will flip some repubs.

I think many Regime supporters think (wrongly) that nothing Trusk is cutting will negatively impact them.

I think it is these sorts of consequences of the massive, illegal cuts that the find themselves directly affected by - parks, jobs, Social Security/Medicare, etc. - that will finally get them to see, and hopefully admit, that what the Regime is doing is hurting the nation, not making it better.

It has to hit them on a visceral level to help them overcome the emotional/cognitive investment they have in their long-term support of the Regime. It probably will have to hit something they hold even more dear than the sunk cost of their previous votes.

And when it does, they may finally come over to the light side.

But I am a bit of an optimist.

[Hotler]

37. FAFO, do that shit in Colorado. People move here just for the outdoors. nt