Mon River: You Could Make A Difference

Now that the 2001 State Championship site has been decided, it is important that members of the Federation get together. There may be disagreements over such issues as off-limits rules or divisional alignment. However, the more pressing issue now is one that I believe we can all agree on.

As I reported in the last issue of The Federation News, the U-S Army Corps of Engineers is considering scaling back locking times on the Monongahela River even further. This would be devastating to WVBF tournaments launching out of Prickett's Fort.I realize many Federation members live elsewhere and don't fish the Mon regularly. However, anyone who's fished there at all would likely agree as rivers go-it's a sweetheart. Not to mention the fact that the 2001 State Championship will be on the Mon and these decisions affect all of us who hope to qualify.

On page13 you'll find a letter I recently sent to Senator Byrd's office. You'll note I suggested adjusting locking times to accommodate the tournament hours. However, even if that request cannot be addressed we could at least seek to keep the locks open earlier and longer on the two days of the 2001 state tournament. I spoke with a staff member in Byrd's office about the request. She offered that the adjustment in time for one weekend didn't seem unreasonable, but suggested the best communication is a letter.

As Federation members we are a rather large voice with 800-plus members. Political leaders are responsive to constituents who bother to get involved and write. My letter will hopefully plant a seed, but if more than 800-letters roll into the Hart Senate Office building it might turn more heads. I've also included the addresses of the state's three Congressmen and Senator Rockefeller on page 15. A few letters couldn't hurt. I would suggest that you write your own letter in order to be more genuine about your feelings. However feel free to use the published letter as a guide at least, (that's why I put it in here). Remember Shelly Moore Capito at the present time is the Congresswoman-elect, but will take over for Bob Wise when the next session of Congress gets started. The address here is Wise's old office. I assume she will simply move into the same office.

I've had previous dealings with Senator Byrd and can tell you from experience he is from the old school and appreciates hand-written correspondence that comes from the heart. I can also assure you that he reads every single letter sent to him. Let him and your Congressman or woman have a look at yours and perhaps we can stop the possibility of halting tournaments on the upper Monongahela.

--Chris Slemp