CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A bill introduced on Tuesday in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate would secure more federal dollars and resources for the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, introduced the bill alongside Rep. James Comer of Kentucky. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is sponsoring the bill on the Senate side.
The bill, called the Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act, authorizes a minimum of $8 million annually for Land Between the Lakes – not including staff salaries and other expenses.
“Land Between the Lake’s budget is determined by the U.S. Forest System, not Congress. There is no set amount per fiscal year, which is why this legislation is so crucial because it allocates $8 million annually,” Rebecca Galfano, Green’s press secretary, told Clarksville Now.
Clarksville Now has reached out to LBL for more information on current funding.
The text of the bill also specifies that any money collected from user fees at LBL will stay within the recreation area for funding new work or deferred maintenance, according to a news release from McConnell.
“Tennesseans, Kentuckians and Americans from coast to coast enjoy Land Between the Lakes. Ensuring greater transparency and increased permanent funding is crucial for the long-term success of Land Between the Lakes,” Green said in a news release.
“I’m proud to work alongside Rep. Comer on this important legislation. This effort will provide an improved and rehabilitated Land Between the Lakes for generations to enjoy.”
The bill also makes LBL a separate unit of the National Forest System, and changes the organization of its Advisory Board.
LBL’s Advisory Board would consist of 13 members, and each member would be able to serve multiple terms on the board but not consecutively, according to the bill. The board must also meet twice a year, and the board’s chairperson must publish the minutes of each meeting.
Additionally, the bill would give the families of former residents who lived at LBL consideration in their requests to “use and maintain traditional sites, buildings, cemeteries and other areas of cultural importance in the Recreation Area,” according to the bill text.
“As Kentucky’s senior senator, I see it as my responsibility to ensure the Land Between the Lakes is well-funded, well-maintained, and well-preserved for generations to come,” McConnell said in the news release.
“From increasing funding, to providing better oversight, to properly safeguarding the area’s heritage and natural resources, this legislation takes the best ideas from community stakeholders and will preserve LBL’s future. I look forward to leading it to passage in the United States Senate.”