As the summer tourism season continues, campground reservations for federally owned sites at Raystown Lake are still closed, but that could change soon because of a recently approved exemption to the federal hiring freeze.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asked the federal government for that exemption to the hiring freeze for Raystown Lake in March. USACE has been canceling previously made campground reservations two weeks out as it waits to hire, as Raystown relies heavily on seasonal workers in the summer.
The government approved the hiring exemption request in May, but it could still be a while before the federally-owned campgrounds reopen.
"We are currently awaiting further approval required to hire adequate staff and begin mandatory safety and visitor assistance training to support normal operations at our campgrounds," said Cynthia Mitchell, a USACE spokesperson for Raystown Lake.
Mitchell said they’re waiting on further approval from the Army Corps of Engineers headquarters, and from the Office of Personnel Management. Plus, she said those new hires will need at least 40 hours of training.
"We look forward to regaining full operational status and providing our visitors with the same recreation experience they have come to expect at Raystown Lake," Mitchell said.
Raystown Lake historically brings in more than a million dollars in revenue to the local economy every year, according to the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau.
In Tioga County, USACE says its Tompkins Campground at the Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lake will reopen on Monday, June 30. It closed access to those campgrounds in March following the federal hiring freeze announcement, but also got an exemption to begin hiring.
