Sawmill Campground (Pennsylvania) has been mandated to halt its operations. This directive, issued by the Bedford County Court following a petition by the Cumberland Valley Township Supervisors, is a result of multiple infrastructural and regulatory issues, including a sewer system that failed its dye test, an unverified well casing, and an absent land use permit for the owner’s dwelling.
Christopher Plunkett owns Sawmill Campground, according to a Bedford Gazette report. Plunkett has maintained that the enforcement action is more personal than procedural, contending that his refusal to allow hunting on his property prompted what he characterizes as retaliation.
The court took a different view: in granting the injunction, Judge Travis Livengood directed that the campground correct its permitting, water, and sewer deficiencies before it could resume operations.
Tensions had surfaced publicly before the order. At a September 2023 township meeting, as the board advanced a subdivision and land-development ordinance Plunkett opposed, he called the supervisors “shady” and vowed to keep spending on litigation, telling the board he had already spent thousands fighting the township.
Sawmill Campground opened in 2016. Plunkett’s attorney, Lisa Whisler, argued that the issues have persisted since the campground’s establishment, questioning the sudden urgency for an injunction. She further highlighted the potential harm to the Plunkett family, who might be rendered homeless due to the decision.
Plunkett has been seeking solutions, from adding holding tanks to scheduling drilling for a new well. However, the challenges persist. The sewage issue, identified in November 2022, remains a significant concern, with the campground housing more campers than permitted. This overcapacity poses environmental risks, emphasizing the need for immediate remedial measures.
Update (July 2026): The dispute between Sawmill Campground and Cumberland Valley Township remains unresolved and has expanded well beyond the original 2023 order. In December 2023, following the cease-operations injunction, Plunkett was held in contempt and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus $825 in the township’s attorney fees after wastewater was observed running from a camper on the property. By early 2025, Plunkett — by then representing himself — had filed multiple lawsuits including one seeking $7.74 million in damages for alleged civil-rights violations against the township supervisors, a sewer enforcement officer, and other parties.
At a March 2025 hearing on preliminary objections, defense attorneys argued the filings were procedurally deficient and served mainly to harass; the court gave Plunkett 30 days to amend his petitions and cautioned that some of his own statements could expose him to criminal liability. In a separate track, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a March 2025 order directing the township itself to revise its Act 537 sewage facilities plan to account for the number of residents on the property.
In October 2025, Bedford County President Judge Travis Livengood recused himself from the cases, saying he saw no legal requirement to do so but that the recusal disputes were stalling the litigation; a senior judge from another county was to take over subsequent hearings. Plunkett’s litigation has also extended beyond the township: in a separate suit he brought against a local church and several individuals, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied his petition for allowance of appeal on November 19, 2025, declining to review a Superior Court ruling and ending that case. As of mid-2026, the township matters remained pending.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Editor’s Note: This article, originally published in 2023, has been edited to remove off-topic content and non-objective commentary and to tighten its focus on the regulatory matter. An update and timeline reflecting the current status of the dispute as of July 2026 have been appended.
How the case has unfolded
November 2022 — A Cumberland Valley Township sewer enforcement officer inspects the property and finds it out of compliance with state environmental regulations, opening the dispute.
September 2023 — At a township meeting, Plunkett clashes with supervisors over a subdivision and land-development ordinance, calling the board “shady” and pledging to keep spending on litigation.
October 4, 2023 — Bedford County Court grants an injunction ordering Sawmill Campground to cease operations until water, sewer, and permitting issues are corrected. The flagged problems: a failed sewer dye test, an unconfirmed well casing, and a missing land-use permit for the owner’s home.
December 2023 — Plunkett is held in contempt and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus $825 in the township’s attorney fees after wastewater is seen running from a camper on the property.
March 2025 —The DEP orders the township to revise its Act 537 sewage plan. Days later, at a hearing on preliminary objections in several cases Plunkett has filed — representing himself — against township supervisors, a sewer enforcement officer, and others, the court gives him 30 days to amend procedurally deficient filings and warns of possible self-incrimination. In one of those cases, he seeks $7.74 million in damages for alleged civil-rights violations.
October 14, 2025 — President Judge Travis Livengood recuses himself after Plunkett again moves for recusal, alleging bias. Livengood says he sees no legal reason to step aside but that the disputes are stalling the cases; a senior judge from another county is assigned.
November 19, 2025 — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denies Plunkett’s petition for allowance of appeal in a separate lawsuit he filed against Bedford Valley Bible Church and several individuals (No. 133 WAL 2025), declining to review a Superior Court ruling and effectively ending that case.
Mid-2026 — The township litigation remains pending on the public record. The campground continues to maintain an active public presence online.