McConnell's "Freedom to Fish" Provision Passes Senate

Statement

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's "Freedom to Fish" provision passed the Senate as part of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA) Conference Report. It passed the House of Representatives earlier this week and now goes to the President for his signature.

The provision, which was secured in the Conference Report by Senator McConnell, continues a "permanent ban" on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' ability to enforce any attempt to restrict public access to fish the tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams in Kentucky -- some of the most popular fishing areas in the state - by giving states the ability to determine how best to regulate public access to these areas. The language also prohibits the Army Corps from ever constructing physical barriers to these public areas or even attempting to implement any kind of a restricted area using signs in the Cumberland River basin for four years following enactment of WRRDA.

"As we approach this Memorial Day weekend, this is outstanding news for the thousands of Kentuckians who just want the freedom to fish, and I want to thank my colleagues, including Senator Paul and Congressman Whitfield, for their help in getting this bill passed," Senator McConnell said. "For decades, Kentuckians and fishing enthusiasts from far away have enjoyed the pleasure of fishing the tailwaters below Lake Barkley and Wolf Creek dams below the Cumberland River. For many in this area, it's become a rite of passage. So you can imagine our outrage at the Obama Administration's attempts to end this proud tradition in the name of big-government regulation they attempted to implement with complete disregard for the people affected most directly by the policy."

Senator McConnell added. "Blocking fishing access to the area would not only have robbed anglers of a beloved pastime, but would have impaired tourism in the area and depressed the Kentucky economy. No one I know in Kentucky supported this plan--not anglers and boaters, not local elected officials, and not the Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife. I saw that firsthand when I visited the area to discuss the issue with my constituents. I talked with many area business owners about the disastrous effect the Army Corps plan would have on their livelihoods, and thanked them for making their voices heard. When that many people unite as one to stand against such a wrongheaded proposal, you'd think this administration would have listened. Well today, their voices were heard. Because of this legislation, we have now permanently prevented the Obama Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from blocking fishing access along the Cumberland River."

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