MODEST FEES HELP PAY BILLS

Many visitors to Corps of Engineers projects in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, mainly lakes that provide recreational outlets, have become accustomed to having free access to a variety of swimming, boating and camping opportunities. For more than 40 years, for example, hundreds of thousands of visitors have flocked to Wappapello Lake and Clearwater Lake to the west of here for weekend getaways.

Two years ago the federal budget bill included the imposition of user fees for facilities operated by the Corps of Engineers. These nominal fees were seen as a way to recoup some of the cost of maintaining those projects without putting an onerous burden on the weekend fisherman or camper.

But there was a good deal of resistance from lake visitors who were used to the free access. So the corps allowed for a two-year grace period during which visitors at some facilities wouldn't be penalized for failing to pay the user fees.

This year, however, the corps is beginning to enforce the fees. While some visitors are a bit grumpy about the few dollars they must pay, most campers, swimmers and boaters won't find paying the user fees so much of a burden that they stop going. For the corps, this means the several million visitors each year in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois will help with the financial responsibility of maintaining what most visitors consider to be excellent recreational opportunities.