Recreation areas in Vermont will have reduced hours this summer due to hiring freeze
Some popular recreation areas around Vermont will have reduced hours and services this summer due to the ongoing federal hiring freeze, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New England District announced this week.
The USACE New England District released a statement on social media this week that recreation areas in the region "will experience reduced hours, limited access to facilities, and significantly reduced services this summer."
The agency said it hires summer rangers annually, but is unable to this year because of the hiring freeze.
"We are prioritizing public safety over recreation," the announcement said.
Five sites in Vermont could be affected.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 implementing a federal hiring freeze, which applies in part to seasonal hiring around the country.
The USACE New England District said it hires seasonal summer rangers whose responsibilities include managing recreational programs. While the agency employs permanent rangers, those roles focus on managing the dam and flood control program, USACE said in its announcement.
Therefore, the lack of summer rangers this year means there will be less staff available at the USACE-managed sites around Vermont, resulting in closures.
'We are being proactive for the benefit of New England families in our announcement – we want people to have the most time possible to prepare for possible park closures or other impacts that could affect their trips or vacations to our recreation sites this Summer," Adam Durando, the deputy chief of operations for USACE New England District, wrote in an email statement Wednesday.
The USACE New England District oversees five sites around Vermont. However, Durando said the agency doesn't yet know which areas will have reduced services.
"We don't have specifics on the hours and closures at this time and are in the process of developing those plans and determining the course of action to provide safe and enjoyable recreation areas for the visiting public without having summer rangers on board," Durando said.
Visitors should check their local recreation area's website and follow USACE on social media for the latest site updates.
Here are the USACE recreation areas in Vermont that could have reduced hours and services this summer:
Ball Mountain Lake, Jamaica
North Hartland Lake, Hartland and Hartford
North Springfield Lake, Springfield
Townshend Lake, Townshend
Union Village Dam, Thetford
Melina Khan is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network - New England, which serves more than a dozen affiliated publications across New England. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: VT recreation areas will have reduced hours this summer. See where
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