SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 17

(By Senators Prezioso, Caldwell, Rowe, Jenkins, Ross and Plymale)
Requesting Congress enact the National Recreation Lakes Act of 2002.

Whereas, West Virginia and many other states have navigable rivers with federal locks and dams and lakes formed behind federal dams, both operated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, which provide pleasure boating, fishing and other related recreational activities as well as facilitating river commerce ; and
Whereas, Federal funding for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers waterways infrastructure and operations on these rivers and lakes for the purposes of flood control, river flow maintenance, facilitation of river commerce and boating, fishing and other related recreational activities has been inadequate for many decades; and
Whereas, Recreation, including boating, fishing and other related recreational activities, is an important and growing part of the economy of West Virginia and the nation; however, recreation on the nation's waterways is not currently a responsibility assigned to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers by Congress; and
Whereas, The proposed National Recreation Lakes Act of 2002, amended to also apply to the nation's navigable rivers and to add recreation to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers waterways' responsibilities, is an appropriate vehicle for addressing waterways' recreation needs; and
Whereas, The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers needs adequate funding in order to meet the infrastructure and operational needs of the nation's lakes and waterways; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests Congress enact the National Recreation Lakes Act of 2002, amended to also apply to the nation's navigable rivers and recreation; and, be it
Further Resolved, That Congress adequately fund the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers waterways infrastructure and operations so that decades of chronic underfunding can be addressed; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the members of West Virginia's congressional delegation, the Secretary of the U. S. Senate and the Clerk of the U. S. House of Representatives.