Communication

Work with your local Public Affairs Office to communicate any closures. Provided below are several key messages approved by Headquarters PAO that may be helpful as you communicate any operational changes at your USACE-managed recreation areas. Use these messages when communicating with the public, media, and congressional members.

• As USACE prepares for possible changes in recreation operations this summer season, visitor safety and well-being will remain our highest priorities.

• In a resource-constrained environment, USACE is facing difficult decisions about limiting operations at certain recreation areas due to staffing shortfalls, or potentially closing them altogether. Full closures are a last resort. USACE is exploring all available options to augment staff or scale back operations to meet minimal staffing requirements. For example, by concentrating available staffing at fewer sites, USACE can ensure those sites are able to provide visitors with the full range of services and opportunities expected at those recreation areas.

• Changes in recreation operations are made on a project-by-project basis and may be required due to resource limitations that include staff shortages, scheduled maintenance or outages, or other resource restrictions.

• Decisions to make operational changes at recreation areas are not made lightly, and we understand those decisions will be disruptive to the public's travel plans. USACE is approaching this situation proactively and is seeking to provide the greatest amount of transparency as possible. Districts will regularly update their websites to keep the public informed about the status of recreation areas.

• We encourage visitors to check the current operational status of USACE recreation areas for any restrictions or safety alerts prior to visiting.