LETTER FROM SENATOR BYRD, dated 5 Oct 2000, received 21 Oct 2000.

EDITORIAL COMMENTS BY GRINCH (Strimbeck):

As I said in previous emails, we are sorta in a holding pattern until the election passes, and, Senator Byrd and Representative Mollohan receive from the Corps of Engineers the information they requested last July. But, after the election is over, we'll "stir the pot" a bit with some phone calls to get up to date, and, to hopefully elicit responses from those who have not replied to my hard-copy snailmail letters to them. But, again, we probably won't see much action on the "lock hours" issue, and, the related issue re the National Recreation Lakes Study, until the new Congress and administration take office next January. Also, I asked Dick Dowling on 28 September if we might learn how the extra evening hours worked out for the Hildebrand and Opekiska locks over the Labor Day weekend, re recreational boaters and fishers using the added time between 4-9pm. I hope Dick will get this information to me so's I can pass it along! Finally, our major need is to get some high-powered lobbying help on the lock hours issue. I'm hoping the NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION might assist us. I'll call Kelly Carter at NMMA after the election, plus the editors of several of the major boating magazines, and, BOAT/US, re how to lobby Congress on these issues. OYNQUE??!! MOOFTH??!!

TEXT OF SENATOR BYRD'S LETTER.

Dear Mr. Strimbeck:

I have received your recent letters further regarding your interest in legislation relating to recreational boating on navigable rivers.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of an article that appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of PONTOON AND DECK BOAT regarding H.R. 4299, the National Recreation Lakes Act of 2000. For your information, H. R. 4299 has been referred to the House Agriculture, House Resources, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. No further action has yet been scheduled on this measure.

In addition, I understand from my projects director that you encountered some difficulty in attempting to order a copy of a report by the National Recreation Lakes Study Commission. I regret learning of the trouble you experienced in this regard. Although I understand that you have since been able to obtain a copy of this report, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future should you think that I might be helpful in facilitating your information request.

With kind regards, I am

Sincerely yours, /s/ Robert C. Byrd

RCB:cdw

EDITORIAL COMMENTS BY GRINCH (Strimbeck): First, HR 4299 probably is dead, unless it is revived in the new congress come January 2001. Second, I still don't have the NRLS reports, as per my request faxed to them on 9 October. So, today, I've repeated that request via snailmail.