NEWS RELEASES
PA County Pushes For Early End To Army Corps Lease
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Meadville Tribune's website.
WOODCOCK TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Pennsylvania county commissioners request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers end early a current 25-year operating lease with the Corps because the county is losing about $65,000 a year on park operations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns Woodcock Lake Park & Campground on the south shore of the lake, but has leased the 311-acre property to the county at no cost since the mid-1970s for operation of a park offering camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking and boating opportunities. The county’s current 25-year lease of the park and campgrounds ends May 25, 2024, but the county has notified the Corps of Engineers it wants to end the lease by January 2020.
According to Meadville Tribune writer Keith Gushard, "Under the lease’s terms, either side may opt out early by giving a one-year notice." Jeff Hawk, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, said the Corps has received notification from the county and is exploring all options for the 2020 season. Woodcock Lake Park & Campground attracts about 13,000 campers during its annual camping season of Memorial Day through Labor Day. The park has 111 paved campsites with 75 of them equipped with electric hook-ups. Money from camping fees of $25 per night for a basic site and $30 per night for an electric site and a $10 dump station fee just isn’t enough to offsetting personnel and other costs of operation, according to commissioners.
To get more details on the reason behind the county's request, visit the full article.