HOT SPRINGS - A top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Wednesday the Corps hasn't decided if it will allow private groups to take over campsites at three southwest Arkansas lakes as a costsaving measure.
Col. Michael Wehr, commander of the Corps' Vicksburg district, assured more than 300 people that if the Corps decided to lease the campsites, the move wouldn't come until next spring, at the earliest.
The idea of a private takeover of public campsites at Lake Ouachita, Lake Greeson and DeGray Lake has prompted anger by campers who fear costs would rise and services would decline.
In a two-hour meeting in a packed room at the Hot Springs Convention Center, none of the speakers who gave public comment supported the idea.
The Corps explained its budget woes, pointing to funding that has not kept pace with inflation and a backlog of costly maintenance projects, while individuals pointed to their own financial troubles.
"This would be for the rich people," said Jeannie Bradshaw of Benton, prompting "amens" and loud applause. "Things is bad enough as it is. We can't enjoy a vacation, with gas and everything else."
Camping at the three lakes controlled by the Vicksburg district generally costs under $20. The Corps didn't sayhow much private groups could charge.
Wehr said he recognizes campers oppose the idea, but said the Corps has to decide whether it's a better option than closing down campsites.
"I learned early on that closing campgrounds is not a good thing," he said, prompting chuckles from the crowd, many of whom spoke out in the winter when the Corps made plans to limit hours and close campsites.
Wehr said in February that was a mistake and announced they would reopen in March with limited services. The Corps cut back on grass mowing and trash pickup, among other things.
He presented a graphic showing fairly flat funding, which is expected to be at just over $19 million for the next budget year. Only a portion of that goes to recreation at the three lakes. Thelakes also provide hydropower generation, flood control and supply water.
Wehr said private leasing isn't unique to the Vicksburg district, but didn't offer examples of other campgrounds controlled by private groups.
Any decision the Vicksburg district makes wouldn't affect campsites in other parts of Arkansas, since they fall under the Little Rock district's jurisdictions. Officials in Little Rock have said a private takeoverof campgrounds is not in the works.
The stream of speakers posed a number of questions to Corps officials: Will the leasing decision be made public before it's finalized? Has anyone already offered bids? Will a takeover lead to condos and other development? Are any campsites that the Vicksburg district oversees in Mississippi and Louisiana facing closures or private takeovers?
"We don't have any more information than when we started," said Linda McLain, a Bryant retiree who walked out in the middle of the meeting, saying it had gone on too long without being informative.
Wehr said he didn't have all of the answers and didn't want to relay incorrect information. He assured the crowd that a formal records request wouldn't be needed to obtain information about decisions on the campsites, and he said the Corps isn't in any "legal" negotiations for campground leasing.
Arkansas, Pages 11, 15 on 06/05/2008