Brook Run Park to Participate in National Public Lands Day

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mobile District has announced it will waive day use fees at its more than 2,400 USACE-operated recreation areas nationwide in recognition of the 20th annual National Public Lands Day on Saturday.

Fees normally charged at boat launch ramps and swimming beaches will be waived. And volunteers will participate in clean-up activities, such as tree planting, erosion control, bank stabilization, building trails, and much more at several park sites.  

Nearby the $3 boat ramp fee will be waived at all Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area sites including Island Ford in Sandy Springs. Volunteers from Centennial High School will clean-up along the river from Island Ford to Riverside Park. Volunteers will also do trail work along Sope Creek.

Separately, a naturalization swearing-in ceremony of 75 citizens will be held at the Island Ford site near the river at the Sope Creek canoe ramp at 9 a.m.

In Dunwoody, volunteers at Brook Run Park will plant new trees along a walk path, roads and parking lots from 8:45 a.m.-noon.

The Lake Lanier Association’s 25th annual Shore Sweep will be held in Gainesville. The Shore Sweep event averages over 30 tons of trash and other debris removed, each year, from the shoreline of Lake Lanier, according to the website.  

To learn about more sites visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/.

The waiver does not apply to camping and camping-related services, or fees for specialized facilities such as group picnic shelters. Other agencies and partners that manage recreation areas located on USACE lands are encouraged, but not required, to comply with this waiver of day use fees in the areas they manage. 

In addition, volunteers who participate in one of USACE’s National Public Lands Day activities will be issued a fee-free coupon if the volunteer site is participating in the coupon program. Volunteers should check with their local USACE project for more information. The fee-free coupon is valid for one year from date of issue and may be used for one day of entrance or day use fees at any participating federal agency’s park, forest or recreation area that charges either of these types of fees. For more information on the fee-free day and coupons visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/highlights/fee-free-day-and-coupons. 

USACE has been involved with National Public Lands Day since its inception in 1994 and has consistently been one of the event’s largest providers of sites and volunteers. 

To locate National Public Lands Day events near you, visithttp://www.publiclandsday.org/ or call your local USACE lake or river office. For more information on USACE recreation opportunities visit www.CorpsLakes.us.