Missouri Senators Fight To Keep Operations At Table Rock Lake Open

Press Release

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) joined U.S. Senators John Boozman (Ark.) and Mark Pryor (Ark.) to introduce the "Corps of Engineers Cooperative Joint Management Restoration Act." The bill would reestablish earlier practices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowing cooperating partners managing Corps recreational facilities to keep the user fees collected and apply them to site maintenance and operations.

In September 2013, the Corps announced it had conducted a legal review of its policy regarding cooperative joint management agreements with non-profit entities for recreational sites, and had suddenly decided that cooperating nonprofits could no longer collect user fees to fund park maintenance and operations.

According to the non-profit Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this bipartisan bill will help keep many sites open that would otherwise be closed. CBO determined that, over time, this legislation is likely to prevent the closure of facilities that collect up to $2.2 million each year in recreation fees.

"As I've told the Corps during our previous meetings and discussions, area residents and businesses deserve a solution and they need it now," Blunt said. "This bill will help alleviate the continued uncertainty and ensure that Table Rock Lake stays opened for the families and businesses that live, work, and vacation there."

"This legislation will ensure that the money local families and business spend at Table Rock Lake will stay in the community," McCaskill said. "I'll continue working with Senator Blunt to make sure the Table Rock Lake provides facilities and services that the entire community can enjoy long into the future."