June 21, 2018

MANCHIN SECURES FUNDING FOR BAKERS RUN CAMPGROUND IN BRAXTON COUNTY

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) responded to a letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District discussing possible closures to the Huntington District’s campgrounds. The planned campground closures were based upon funding levels in the President’s Fiscal Year 2019 proposal and not from funds authorized by Congress.

Senator Manchin, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, secured funding in a Senate Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2019 that will ensure the Army Corps has the funds needed for recreation areas such as Bakers Run Campground near Sutton Lake in Braxton County. Senator Manchin’s letter also encouraged the Corps to refrain from sending notifications of potential closures based on budget proposals and not funding levels authorized by Congress. Click here to read the letter.

“Bakers Run Campground at Sutton Lake is a tourist destination and a place where West Virginia families gather to enjoy nice weather and make memories. I was alarmed when I heard that they were preparing to close campgrounds because of potential cuts in federal government funding. But I made sure that we have adequate funding in the Army Corps budget so they can continue to operate and continue to be a vacation destination for West Virginia families,” Senator Manchin said.

The Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District manages numerous recreation areas in West Virginia, including campgrounds at R.D. Bailey Lake and Sutton Lake. These areas are enjoyed by West Virginians and visitors from surrounding areas each year who come to the state to enjoy West Virginia’s wild and wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities. Last year, 3.5 million annual visitors came to West Virginia and contributed to the states $4.1 billion dollar tourism industry.

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