Here's what could change about Raystown Lake, and how residents are trying to stop it
Raystown Lake is a popular day trip from State College and a destination for boating, hiking and more, but some people have concerns about its future.
The current master plan for Raystown Lake is nearing its lifespan, so land use in the area could potentially be reclassified in the next year or so. While the western shore of the lake has plenty of development, the eastern shore remains mostly untouched. That could change if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake, switches the area from low-recreation density to high-recreation density.
The Coalition to Protect Hawn's Peninsula was formed in November to rally community members' support for maintaining the lake in its current state. Group co-founder and President George Conrad said allowing any sort of development in the Hawn's Bridge area would affect large game fish habitats, decrease hunting land and make it less safe because the concentration of boaters would increase.
"You could talk about the economic benefits of development, and surely it would generate some tax revenue, potentially some seasonal jobs ... but we argue the point that if you develop that area, it’s going to alter Raystown Lake as we currently know it," Conrad said.
The master plan, which hasn't been revised since 1994, is a document that dictates how land can be used and managed for the next 15-25 years, according to Becca Nappi, spokesperson for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District. The 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act requires that the lake's plan be updated.
Low-density recreation includes passive activities like hiking and birdwatching, whereas high-density recreation involves infrastructure, she said.
Last year, Texas-based developer Lancer Resources LP sought to build a resort and marina near the Hawn's Bridge section of the lake, but the Corps rejected the plans, the Altoona Mirror reported.
Nappi said an "unsolicited proposal" was submitted for a high-density recreation project, but the current classification of the Hawn's Bridge area doesn't allow for that type of project, so it's not on the table.
If the master plan were to change and reclassify that area to high-density recreation, Nappi said it would still be a long process involving permits and National Environmental Policy Act compliance before a company could implement that sort of project.
Over the next few months, the Corps will be conducting various environmental studies at Raystown, as well as gathering public feedback.
"The public knows Raystown better than most of us do that are working on the project, just because they live there and they’re there all the time, so we think their information is really vital to knowing how the future of Raystown should look," Nappi said.
The Corps will host several public meetings some time in August. A draft of the revised master plan will most likely be ready by summer or fall 2019, Nappi said.
"This is our public land and it’s in our backyard and we should be concerned about it," Conrad said.
The next coalition meeting will be at 5 p.m. June 16 at the Raystown Dam pagoda.
This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Here's what could change about Raystown Lake, and how residents are trying to stop it."