Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) recently announced a two-year moratorium of the Army Corps of Engineer’s plan to erect barriers along the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Whitefield originally introduced the legislation, known as the Freedom to Fish Act, in late February. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) led the passage of the bill in the Senate.
Both chambers passed the bill in late May.
The Nashville District of the Corps announced in 2012 it would restrict fishing and build barricades along the near 700-mile long Cumberland River due to safety issues.
Whitfield said the plan would hurt fishermen and surrounding businesses that rely on the economic activity created by fishing and recreation in the region.
“Installing these barricades will cost taxpayers $3 million at a time when our nation faces $16 trillion in debt,” Whitefield said. “Instead of spending millions of dollars ignoring the enormous public opposition to this plan, USACE should instead consider using this money to address our local infrastructure needs such as spending the money on infrastructure maintenance.”
Whitefield spent the past several months writing letters, participating in conference calls and attending meetings to obtain decision-making information from the Corps and to garner support for his legislation.