Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Thanks to everyone who contacted thier reps over the last year and BoatUS for letting us know what was going to happen. We will not have to buy $800.00 per boat permits to put our boats on any body of water. Read this aticle for an update.

July 24, 2008 —
Congress Spares Bassers from EPA Permits
On Wednesday, both the U.S. House and Senate passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008," which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The next stop for this piece of legislation is the White House where it is expected to receive the President's signature and go into law.

The bill became necessary after a U.S. District Court decision in September 2006 which potentially subjected approximately 17 million recreational boats to permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. These permits would have been expensive and subjected recreational boaters to maintenance and operation procedures that were designed for industrial polluters.

"Congress stepped up in the last seconds of the fourth-quarter and gave anglers and boaters a much needed victory," said BASS Conservation Director Chris Horton. "The impending permit requirements for anyone operating a recreational vessel were not the result of any real problem, but rather a court's assumption that there was no difference between large, trans-oceanic shipping vessels and an 18-foot bass boat. Fortunately, the angling and boating communities came together like never before, and successfully convinced Congress that this regulation placed an undue burden on the millions of recreational boaters around the country.

"My thanks to the BASS Federation Nations for their quick response to the many calls to action that went out at various times throughout this legislative course. With their help and the leadership of BASS, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and others, we demonstrated the collective power of the outdoor community."

BASS, FLW and other Oudoor groups have been busy lately representing our interests on capitol hill...We have been lucky that common sense has won out in most incidents. 

Some members of BASS, FLW and other orgination wonder where their dues go, well... now you know. As an individual, we don't really have much power, but when we band together things can happen. There is power in numbers. Thanks to all the orginations that helps us.

REELMAN