Tag Archives: dams
Obama Signs Bill to Preserve Fishing Below Dams
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Anglers who caught the attention of federal lawmakers have preserved access to fishing below dams on the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee.
President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a bill blocking the Army Corps of Engineers from erecting barriers to prevent fishing in the tailwaters. Those tailwaters are prime fishing spots in a region known as a recreational haven.
Local officials said the restrictions would have hurt tourism, a key contributor to the region's economy.
Congress waded into the controversy by passing the Freedom to Fish Act. It puts a two-year moratorium on any barriers that would block access to tailwaters.
Sen. Mitch McConnell praised Obama for reversing a decision to place barriers along the river.
A proposal to permanently ban barriers is pending in the House.
Note: News release from Sen. Lamar Alexander below (interestingly, it doesn't mention Obama)
This entry was posted in Lamar Alexander, President Obama and tagged below, congress, Cumberland, dams, fish, fishing, freedom, Obama, River, signs on June 3, 2013 by Tom Humphrey.
U.S. House Joins Senate in Approving 'Freedom to Fish'
News release from Sen. Lamar Alexander:
WASHINGTON, May 21 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed his Senate legislation which includes an immediate two-year ban to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from restricting fishing below dams on the Cumberland River. The president has 10 days from the day he receives the legislation to act upon it, before it becomes law.
"When the president signs this legislation, this will end the discussion," Alexander said. "Both chambers of the United States Congress have now told the Corps to immediately abandon its unreasonable efforts to restrict fishing and work with state agencies on a sensible policy to address safety concerns, instead of wasting taxpayer dollars and ignoring elected officials who are standing up for fishermen."
The legislation that passed the House today – and received unanimous Senate support on May 16 – would stop the Corps from enacting any existing or new fishing restrictions for the next two years, while also delegating enforcement to state wildlife agencies.
This entry was posted in Congress, Lamar Alexander and tagged Alexander, army, cooper, corps, dams, engineers, fishing, jim, Lamar, Tennessee on May 21, 2013 by Tom Humphrey.
Alexander Threatens Corps of Engineers Budget in Fishing Fight
News release from Sen. Lamar Alexander's office:
WASHINGTON, May 8 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) told a top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official at a budget hearing today that he would restrict the Corps' ability to transfer new funds to projects if it doesn't abandon "unreasonable" fishing restrictions that amount to "thumbing your nose at elected officials," saying, "It sounds to me like we have a life jacket problem – not a water problem." (Video HERE.)
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), the subcommittee chairman whose approval the Corps would also need, called Alexander reasonable "99.9 percent of the time" and told the Corps officials, "My strong advice would be to try to work something out with him."
"We don't need Big Brother in Washington holding our hands while we're fishing down in Tennessee or Kentucky or any other place," Alexander said to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy. "If you're not going to pay attention to the elected representatives of Tennessee and Kentucky and other states, I'm not going to pay attention to your judgment. You have nine major accounts, 918 project accounts, and in order to move that, you need the permission of the chairman and me to [transfer new funds to projects]. … You're going to find it very hard to get my approval for any reprogramming request – anywhere in the country – until I get the Corps' attention, and if that doesn't get your attention, I'm going to work with my colleagues to reduce the reprogramming requests to $1,000 so that any reprogramming you want to do, you'll have to come back to me and Senator Feinstein and the chairman and ranking member in the House."
Referring to the order in which the legislative and executive branch duties are laid out in the Constitution – Article I and Article II, respectively – Alexander said, "We're Article I, you're Article II – you ought to be paying attention to our judgment on this, especially when so many members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have made themselves clear on this. We don't need a government that's big enough to interfere with us when we have enough sense to … get out of the water the 20 percent of the time when it's spilling through the dam."
Alexander, the lead Republican or Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development that was holding the hearing, has introduced the "Freedom to Fish Act" to prohibit the Corps from restricting fishing beneath 10 dams on the Cumberland River. On March 23, the U.S. Senate unanimously supported his amendment to the Senate budget resolution allowing Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the Corps plans.
On April 30, the Corps announced that it would move forward with full-time, permanently restricted access to tailwaters areas below the dams, through buoys and signage. Today, Alexander said the Corps would "find it very hard" to get the approval it needs from him as Ranking Member of the subcommittee for "reprogramming" required to move money among the Corps' more than 900 project accounts.
Alexander pointed to the Corps' own statistics showing that water only spills through the dams 20 percent of the time, on average. Alexander said, "Closing off the tailwaters 100 percent of the time would be like putting the gate down over the railroad crossing 100 percent of the time – the tracks aren't dangerous when the train's not coming, and the water isn't dangerous when the water isn't spilling through the dam."
Former U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Jerry Martin, an appointee of President Obama who until stepping down recently would have been responsible for defending the Corps in court, has said the Corps' restrictions are unreasonable "in light of the tremendous protection from liability enjoyed by the Corps." The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has also said it will not enforce the Corps' restrictions, and Alexander has repeatedly encouraged the Corps to work out a compromise with state agencies to address safety concerns.
This entry was posted in Congress, Lamar Alexander and tagged Alexander, army, ban, corps, Cumberland, dams, engineers, fishing, Lamar, River on May 8, 2013 by Tom Humphrey.
Alexander to Push 'Freedom to Fish' Legislation
NASHVILLE, April 30 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' announcement today that it would proceed with its proposed fishing restrictions below dams on the Cumberland River:
"This is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an unreasonable interference with the right to fish below the dams the public owns," Alexander said. "We will therefore move ahead in the U.S. Senate next week with legislation to ensure the freedom of Americans to fish in these waters at times that the state wildlife agencies believe is consistent with reasonable efforts to ensure public safety."
The senator's statement follows an announcement by the Corps today, Tuesday, April 30, that it would proceed with restricting access to tailwaters areas below the dams in Tennessee and Kentucky on a full-time, permanent basis through the use of buoys and signage. The Corps is not proceeding with physical barriers at this time, though that has been part of the plan.
Alexander previously introduced the "Freedom to Fish Act" to prohibit the Corps from restricting access to the tailwaters, noting that the waters are only dangerous 20 percent of the time. Cosponsors included Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), as well as U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) in the House.
On March 23, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to the budget that would allow for Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the Corps' plan. Alexander has also held a range of meetings with Corps officials, encouraging the Corps to work with Tennessee and Kentucky wildlife agencies on a compromise to ensure safety.
This entry was posted in Lamar Alexander and tagged Alexander, army, congress, corps, Cumberland, dams, engineers, fishing, Lamar, River on April 30, 2013 by Tom Humphrey.
Alexander, Corker Join KY Senators to Block Fishing Restrictions
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), along with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), today introduced legislation that would stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from restricting fishing in the tailwaters below the Cumberland River dams.
Alexander's legislation would prevent the Corps from enacting its plan, rather than simply delay it, as previously intended, because of the Corps' continued commitment to move forward.
In addition to introducing the legislation, Alexander spoke by phone today with Secretary of the Army John McHugh, and announced that he will meet Monday with Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy to discuss the Corps' planned restrictions.
Alexander said the Corps is pushing an "unreasonable plan to restrict fishing below Cumberland River dams that will destroy remarkably good recreational opportunities and many jobs." The Corps plan would restrict public access to the fishing waters below 10 dams on the Cumberland River.
Alexander continued, "Water spills through the Cumberland River dams less than 20 percent of the time on average. To close off the tailwaters to fishing 100 percent of the time would be like keeping the gate down at the railroad crossing 100 percent of the time: The track isn't dangerous when the train isn't coming, and the tailwaters aren't dangerous when the water isn't spilling through the dam."
The senator, who is the senior Republican on the Senate committee overseeing Corps funding, also said that he "wanted to know exactly where the $2.6 million that the Corps plans to use to erect physical barriers is coming from during these tight budget times." Alexander said Congress may also need to consider whether the funding required for the barrier system is in the best interest of the American taxpayer.
State officials have said safety concerns can be addressed by anglers adhering to current requirements, and by making changes to policy that would be far less restrictive than the Corps' plan. Alexander has called on the Corps to reconsider its position, in the hopes that a compromise could find a way to better address safety concerns only when the waters are dangerous.
This entry was posted in environment, Lamar Alexander and tagged Alexander, army, bill, congress, corps, dams, engineers, fishing, introduce, Lamar on February 28, 2013 by Tom Humphrey.
Corps of Engineers Proposes to Restrict Fishing, Boating Near Dams; Alexander Opposed
PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering restricting boating near its dams on the Cumberland River.
The Paducah Sun (http://bit.ly/UFxWzK ) reported officials at the Corps' office in Nashville, Tenn., are not discussing the plan publicly, but said a document on it will be released in the coming months.
The newspaper reports the likely restrictions would affect fishing both above and below the dams on all sections of the river, which rises in eastern Kentucky, flows through Middle Tennessee and then turns northward into Kentucky again.
Sgt. Garry Clark of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources said fishing is good because smaller fish get stuck around the dam and larger fish congregate to feed on them. However, the tailwaters of near the dams are dangerous because power generation causes turbulence that can capsize or capture fishing boats.
"It's almost like being in a car and driving on ice," Clark said. "You can't get any traction. And most boaters don't know when the generators are going to come on, so it's unexpected."
Signs at Kentucky and Barkley lake dams say boaters should not fish within 500 feet of the structures, but the limits aren't consistently enforced.
Note: A recent news release from Sen. Lamar Alexander on the subject is below.
This entry was posted in environment, Lamar Alexander and tagged Alexander, boating, corps, cumerland, dams, engineers, Lamar, River on December 5, 2012 by Tom Humphrey.