The Shawnee National Forest is pleased to announce Lake Glendale Recreation Area in Pope County, Illinois has been selected as the site to receive funding through the Great American Outdoors Act.
Several rehabilitation projects will be implemented over a 4-year period to address a backlog of repairs and maintenance at Lake Glendale Recreation Area.
“Besides addressing much of the deterred maintenance needs at Lake Glendale Recreation Area, the selected projects will improve the visitor’s experience and provide enhanced safety and accessibility for people with disabilities for many years to come,” says Chad Deaton, Recreation Program Manager on the Shawnee National Forest.
Through addressing Lake Glendale’s deferred maintenance, it is likely visitation will increase, thus strengthening the site concessionaire business, as well as potentially fostering growth in other outdoor recreation businesses in the area, such as equipment rental and guiding services. The project will also provide economic benefits to local communities through the influx of funds used to hire contractors and purchase materials and the creation of construction jobs.
The Shawnee National Forest projects are part of the $285 million investment made possible by the newly created National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act. These funds will allow the USDA Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests and grasslands. These funds are critical in helping to reduce the Forest Service’s $5.2 billion deferred maintenance backlog and is an important step in restoring what our visitors love about national forests in the Eastern Region.
The Great American Outdoors Act responds to the growing $5.9 billion backlog of deferred maintenance on national forest and grasslands, which includes $3.7 billion for roads and bridges and $1.5 billion for visitor centers, campgrounds and other facilities. Forest Service economists estimate that projects funded with these dollars will support roughly 4,400 jobs and contribute $420 million to the gross domestic product. The Forest Service currently administers more than 370,000 miles of roads, 13,400 bridges, 159,000 miles of trails, 1,700 dams and reservoirs, 1,500 communications sites, 27,000 recreation sites, and 40,000 facilities of other types. In addition to helping address deferred maintenance for these critical facilities and infrastructure, the Great American Outdoors Act will help the Forest Service to continue supporting rural economies and communities in and around national forests and grasslands across the country.
Beginning in the Fall of 2021, the following projects are planned:
Lake Glendale – Phase 1:
- Construction of electrical lines that service Lake Glendale’s picnic areas and campgrounds.
- Construction of new restrooms at Duck Bay and Goose Bay picnic areas.
Lake Glendale – Phase 2:
- Restoration of the historic picnic shelters at Duck Bay and Goose Bay.
- New restroom at Pine Point Picnic Area.
Lake Glendale – Phase 3:
- Construction of new shower houses at Oak Point Campground.
- Construction of a new beach house.
- Lake dredging
Lake Glendale – Phase 4:
- Road repaving of all roads within the recreation area.
- Replacing campsite equipment (tables, fire rings, camp pads).