FEDERAL LEGISLATION ERASES SOME CORPS BOAT-LAUNCHING USERS FEES

A bill signed into law Friday by President Bill Clinton eliminates a portion of user fees that were included in the president's 1993 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson of Cape Girardeau, who voted against the act, mounted an effort in May to repeal the user fees at Army Corps of Engineers facilities.

"With the passage of this new bill, Congress has corrected an onerous mistake of the Clinton administration," said Emerson, who was in the Wappapello area Thursday. The 8th District Republican lawmaker announced that fees would not be collected at boat launching ramps in lightly and undeveloped boat areas.

"While this repeal frees up the public boat ramps, we will have to hit it again to remove fees for beaches and other areas, which were included in that omnibus budget bill," said Emerson.

The new bill goes into effect immediately.

The boat ramp fees called for $2 to use boat ramps on Corps-operated facilities.

Still in effect, however, are user fees calling for $1 per person, or $3 per carload, to visit the facilities. Season passes are also available, at $25 per person, or $12.50 for senior citizens.

"I have heard from thousands of folks in southern Missouri and throughout the state who believe this was just another burdensome tax levied on hard-working Americans," said Emerson.

"My legislation made common sense," he said. "Folks who want to utilize these public lands and waters have already paid for their right to use them through federal taxes. I hope this helps to send a message to the Clinton administration that the American people are sick and tired of the government trying to double dip them at every turn through taxes for so-called user fees."

"The new bill won't really affect us that much," said D. Lynn Snider of the Army Corps of Engineers at Clearwater Lake near Piedmont.

The Clearwater facility started collecting the fees earlier this month, but had a maximum charge of $3 per vehicle, which included the use of boat ramps.

"We'll still be collecting the entry fees," said Snider.

No fees have been collected at Wappapello Lake to date.

"We won't be initiating the fees until we get a directive from district headquarters," said Andrew Jefferson, of the Corps staff at Wappapello. "We haven't received a directive or signs yet."

Wappapello Lake is under the St. Louis Corps District; Clearwater is under the Little Rock District.

Fees from the boat ramps at Clearwater were being set aside for maintenance and improvement to the boat ramps, said Bob Faletti, a public affairs spokesman at the Little Rock District office.

Jefferson said officials have been pleased with crowds at Wappapello this year.

More than 20,000 people were on hand earlier this year for the annual drag boat races, and recently more than 11,000 attended a two-day outdoors program near Greenville.

"Our visitations are probable up this year," said Jefferson.

"We don't have totals for August visitation yet," said Snider. "We were down some in July, but we have had good August crowds."