Public Camp Manual

Maintenance of developed public camps has become a matter of primary importance. It is useless to construct improvements without making provision for their maintenance. Every improved camp should be put in good condition before the opening of the camping season.

On large camps, caretakers should be employed wherever possible. Failing that, a system of traveling caretakers should be set up so that each developed camp will be properly cared for. It may be advisable to divide the forest into divisions, each division having a man with a dump truck designated as a garbage collector, to work on that job alone. The caretakers or cleanup men could then have more time for general maintenance and for meeting the camping public. Camp caretakers should require campers to keep their camps clean and to leave them clean when moving on.

It will be desirable in many cases to equip a pickup with materials and tools needed for the maintenance job, having one or more of these trucks assigned to divisions as needed. Such a truck should carry all necessary tools, as well as replacement parts for toilets, water systems and other camp improvements. Trucks for this purpose should be outfitted on the individual forests, equipment being designed for the particular local conditions involved.

The importance of adequate maintenance cannot be over emphasized. Much of the trouble in the past has resulted from lack of supervision and maintenance of public camps. It is absolutely essential that in all plans for recreational development the maintenance of improvements be included.