Arkansas lawmakers introduce legislation to increase outdoor recreation funding

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would increase funding for federal recreation areas.

The Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong Act, or LAKES Act, would allow U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities to keep 80% of recreation fees collected. Currently, Corp of Engineers facilities can not retain fees, unlike U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service sites.

The act was introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) on Dec. 22, 2023. Westerman was joined by fellow Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack (AR-03) and Democrat Jared Huffman (CA-02) in introducing the bill.

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The LAKES Act would also allow the Corps to enter into agreements with nonprofits to operate and maintain Corp facilities. It would also allow local managers to make operation and maintenance decisions about facilities under their control.

Companion legislation in the Senate is co-sponsored by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Steve Daines (R-MT).

According to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, outdoor recreation is 2.5% of the Natural State’s GDP.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has pointed to outdoor recreation as a driver for the Natural State’s tourism revenue.

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Westerman and Womack acknowledged the economic role of recreation in introducing the LAKES Act.

“Outdoor recreation is among one of the top economic drivers in the U.S., especially in states like Arkansas,” Westerman said. “Because of discrepancies in current federal law, managers of some of our favorite outdoor recreation sites have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to maintain and manage the sites.”

The Corps is one of the largest outdoor recreation providers, with nearly 257,000 facilities across 43 states, according to Westerman’s office.

Womack spoke to the efficiencies provided in the act.

“Under current federal law, local managers of recreation sites we all know and love, such as Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, must cut through endless bureaucratic red tape to maintain and operate these sites effectively,” Womack said. “The LAKES Act would rectify this by allowing the Army Corps to retain recreation fees collected onsite, keeping maintenance and operations decisions out of the hands of federal bureaucrats and into the hands of the local managers who know these sites best.”

A letter supporting the legislation undersigned by 26 outdoor recreation equipment manufacturers has been received by Westerman and Huffman. It cites the historic underfunding of Corp programs.

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The act has been Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

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