b'CALENDAR OF EVENTSFEBRUARY Contact: (614) 221-77485-9: 54th Annual Detroit RV & 11-15: Wisconsin Association ofCamping Show Campground Owners 56th Suburban Collection Showplace Convention & Trade ShowNovi, Mich. Holiday Inn Hotel & Contact: (800) 422-6478 Convention CenterStevens Point, Wisc.17-18: Louisiana Association ofContact: (715) 344-0200RV Parks & Campgrounds SpringConvention 19-21: Northeast Campground Hampton Inn & Suites Associations 56th Northeast Morgan City, La. Conference on CampingContact: lisa@campinglouisiana.com DoubleTree by HiltonDanvers, Mass. 25: Kansas Association of RV Parks Contact: cyndy@campnca.com& Campgrounds Annual MeetingFour Seasons RV Acres APRILAbilene, Kan. Contact: (785) 761-6627 1-2: CampCalNOW RV Park & Campground Alliances MARCH Spring SummitLaunch Pointe Recreation 5: Tennessee Association of RV Destination and RV ParkParks & Campgrounds StateLake Elsinore, Calif.Conference Contact: (530) 885-1624River Plantation Conference CenterSevierville, Tenn. MAYContact: (865) 591-750113-15: FARVC Outdoor Hospitality6-7: Ohio Campground OwnersConference & ExpoAssociation Spring ConferenceDoubletree Hilton at & Trade Show SeaworldampCalNOWEmbassy Suites Columbus Airport Orlando, Fla.Columbus, Ohio Contact: bcornwell@farvc.org WCMQ&A Conversationsfrom page 14 Its hard to bring to everyones atten-tion that there was an internal effort thatoriginating from the Recreation Advisory our members have been really involved inCouncil (RAC)which has since been thats really positive for everyone. Thedisbandedthat recommended the Na- RAC proposal does have some compo-tionalParkService(NPS)privatize nents that should probably be looked at,campgroundswithinnationalparks, and maybe, too, there are some compo-limitbenefitsforseniorvisitorsand nents that dont make sense for everyone.allow food trucks as a way to bring more WCM: So, whats the plan for bringingmoney into the system. That report was ORRs campground modernization sug-widely criticized by certain media and gestions to everyones attention? national park supporters. But the RAC Wahl:The opportunity for usand weand its report dont have anything to do talked about this at the board meeting with ORR or your groups campground really is that there are important camp-modernization initiative, correct? ground infrastructure changes and in-Wahl: Correct. Were not on the RAC ventory that have to be done. We dontand were not involved directly in that. We want the negative press around privati-are involved in the effort thats been un- zation, which no one wants. We dontderway with the NPS for about a year now want that to take over the positive oppor- one that the RV Industry Association tunity to know what shape our camp-and RVDA are very interested in and one grounds are in and bring partners to thethat Ive had conversations aroundtable to get them up to the shape that vis-which is separate from the RAC proposal. itors want. Sometimes visitors in a front-Its very important that the infrastruc- country area want a lot of different thingsture is looked at and that the NPS is get- than a back-country area.ting an inventory of what the status of the Theres also a great opportunity for thecampgrounds are, especially if were to get private campground industry. If the na-some money from the Restore Our Parks tional park says, Hey, this isnt the rightAct. We need to know what the priorities placefor Wi-FiandRVpull-outsandare. So, this campground initiative has rentalsandkayaks,thentheprivatebeen going on and will continue to go on. campground industry might say, Well,The problem has really been the neg- right outside of the park is a good placeative rhetoric around the RAC proposal, for this, or right outside of the forest.which the media took in a different di- But, at this point, were just trying torection. It seems like its been hyper- get a better handle on what shape thebolized a little bit from what the actual campgrounds are in, where they are, andproposal was. But I think with RAC dis- what the access opportunities are for ourcontinuing, our hope is that the work industry to support to help improve in-that was started separately from RAC on frastructure across the board. Some ofcampground inventory and the look at that might come from Restore Our Parkscampgroundinfrastructurewillcon- Act dollars. Some of that might cometinue. Thats really important to all sec- from a public-private partnership oppor-tors. Thatsimportanttopeoplewho tunity. Some that might come from youthwant to camp in the back country in a corps going in and doing the repair worktent, and thats important to people who at a fraction of the cost.want to be in an RV and have access up Its not about selling off public lands.to standard and modernized infrastruc- Thats 100% not something ORR wouldture and Wi-Fi and things like that. ever be for.WCM36 -February 2020 Woodalls Campground Management'