The following comes from Nashville-area angler Harvey Craft, craft994914@bellsouth.net

Attention Fishermen, Boaters and Friends,

Most recently we fishermen in the Nashville, TN area have been hit with a new problem. Certain boat docks on our J. Percy Priest Lake have started charging a $5.00 fee to launch your boat. As I am sure you are aware these ramps and parking areas were all paid for with taxpayer monies to begin with. There are laws, (Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended by H. R. “Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993”, and now codified at 16 S. S. C. 4601C) that state if a boat dock wishes to charge a launching fee they can but must maintain the ramp and parking area. Just how much maintaining does a concrete ramp and blacktop parking lot need?

After contacting the U. S. Corp of Engineers they confirm this to be the situation. This is not a local or state law either but a federal law. The launching was initiated June 6, 2002, and subsequently modified on January 14, 2009, to include long term parking fees. This can happen on any body of water controlled by the Corp of Engineers. Today on my lake, tomorrow on yours.

There are approximately 272,000 boats registered in the state of Tennessee.

Needless to say we fishermen are upset over this and have changed from leaving our vehicles and trailers in a somewhat secure area to now using any public ramp we can find. These public ramps do not even provide a single light for us folks who fish at night on this lake. A little spooky does not describe that long dark walk to ones vehicle before trying to load ones boat in the dark.

Now for the big question – what can be done to reverse this part of the law?

Only we, the people, can get this accomplished by banding together and contacting our elected officials in our own state with letters and emails, “both”.

To contact your U. S. Senator, simply “Google” U. S. Senators email address – select your state and their addresses will appear. Click on their name and a block will appear directing you to their email addresses. Do not forget those Congressmen also. Let them know if you feel this to be a burdensome and unnecessary charge on recreation. Several hundred folks may not be enough to get their attention. Please contact everyone you know requesting them to contact their contacts.

Hopefully these contacts will contact their contacts and the effort snowball from there.

Please let me know if I can count on you. This joint effort needs to take place on January 4, 2010. Further suggestions and or comments please let me know and thank you.

Harvey Craft
craft994914@bellsouth.net