The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in June they are searching for non-federal aid in managing recreational parks around Lake Lanier, and have received bids from Dawson, Forsyth and Hall counties.
Should the request for cooperative management of various USACE parks not be met, one of the initial moves would have been to potentially close some of the recreational parks around Lake Lanier.
USACE Mobile District Public Affairs Officer Steve Stanley said that option would only be used if the cooperative management route completely fails.
"As of right now, the Corps of Engineers has zero plans to close any of our parks or campgrounds in the future," Stanley said.
This style of park management is the first of its kind for the USACE, according to Stanely. There is nowhere else in Georgia, or the entire United States, where cooperative management with counties or city municipalities has been attempted.
"It's not that there was any budget change, in fact, the budget has been the same for years," Stanley noted. "The problem is that the cost of resources has gone up tremendously over the past few years, obviously not just for the Corps of Engineers and the federal government, but for everybody."
These cost increases are what have led the USACE to seek cooperative management help.
The bidding period for local municipalities to put their name forward for park management is set to close Monday at 4 p.m.
Stanley was not able to comment on when additional information on the success of the bids will be released. Currently, the USACE has received bids from Dawson, Forsyth and Hall counties.
Original story published Saturday, July 15, at 1:04 p.m.:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in June they are searching for non-federal aid in managing recreational parks around Lake Lanier, with several locations at risk of closing.
Non-federal aid for public recreational areas is limited to state, county municipal or local governments or public institutions of higher education and Native American tribes, according to the USACE. The proposed partnerships will be entered into a “Challenge Cost Sharing Cooperative Management Agreement.”
The USACE is seeking cooperative management in order to share the cost of operations and maintenance of the recreational areas around Lake Lanier. This ask follows a restructuring USACE is undergoing as they attempt to keep their federal recreation program within budget, officials said.
There are three primary options USACE is considering, including implementing a direct lease, engaging in a cooperative management agreement or if those options fail, closing certain recreation areas.
USACE provided no information on which recreational parks would be first on the chopping block should a cooperative management agreement not be reached.
“The cooperative management option appears to be the best option, it is a win, win, win,” USACE Project Manager Tim Rainey said.
Officials believe cooperatively managing the parks will allow for cost savings for the current management and allows the parks to maintain eligibility to receive “Corps appropriations.” Additionally, the user fees collected from the recreational parks will be reinvested into the site, instead of being deposited directly into the U.S. Treasury, USACE said.
In searching for partners for park management, USACE will allow them to retain 100% of the user fees collected in order to offset the cost of management, operation and maintenance. Corps officials also believe allowing local municipalities to manage the parks may help cities achieve their own goals of increasing recreational opportunities and green space for nearby residents.
As for the public, cooperative management of the parks is said to potentially allow longer operating seasons and improved services at the recreational sites.
Lake Lanier has approximately 76 recreational areas, 40 of which are run by the USACE. The lake is just one of 464 lakes across 43 states constructed and operated by the Corps.
