Submitted by chris_hunt on Wed, 2015-02-04 07:02 Conservation Climate Change Vote Up Down +1 + P7050111.JPG The following is written testimony from K.C. Walsh, president and owner of Simms Fishing Products; Dave Perkins, vice-chairman of the Orvis Co.; and Travis Cambpell, the president and CEO of Far Bank Enterprises (Sage, Redington and RIO); and John Land Le Coq, CEO and founder of Fishpond to members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for today's hearing on the "impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule on State and Local Governments." The hearing is being conducted in response to Congressional efforts to block the EPA/Army Corps of Engineers rulemaking process that would restore protections to small headwater streams under the Clean Water Act. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure U.S. House of Representatives 2165 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-9446 U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Majority Office 410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-6175 Minority Office 456 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-6175 May 21, 2015 Dear Senators And Representatives, As leaders of America’s top fly fishing companies, we write to express our support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to restore protections for our nation’s headwater streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. Simply put, the draft Waters of the United States rule is a good one, and it should be allowed to move through the federal rulemaking process without interference from Congress. The small waters to which this important draft rule applies are the lifeblood for many of our country’s prized fisheries. They flow into rivers, streams and lakes that provide the foundation of our industry--our bottom lines depend on intact watersheds, cold, clean rivers and streams and intact, fishable habitat. Given that fishing in America supports approximately 828,000 jobs, results in nearly $50 billion annually in retail sales and has an economic impact of about $115 billion every year (Sportfishing in America, American Sportfishing Association, 2013), it stands to reason that the health of our nation’s waters is vital to the continued success of our industry, and to the health of America’s economy. We urge you to allow the EPA rulemaking process to continue unimpeded. In recent years, participation in fishing and hunting--fly fishing included--has grown. We are seeing robust interest in our sport and it is translating to our sales, to the numbers of employees we hire right here in America, and to the health of brick-and-mortar retailers all over the country. Like us, their businesses depend on clean, fishable water. But, in addition to being acutely interested in the health of our watersheds, we are also concerned that blocking this rulemaking process could turn back the clock on the progress our nation has made since the Clean Water Act was put into place more than 40 years ago. Today, rivers that once actually caught fire are home to remarkable runs of steelhead and brown trout. Streams that were once uninhabitable for native brook trout are now home to robust populations of these prized fish. What’s more, our country’s drinking water is healthier and safer than ever before. Please consider the present state of our watersheds before interfering in a proven process that has generated more than 800,000 comments from the public in support of this rule. While we understand that politics these days can be tumultuous and rancorous, we strongly encourage you not to play politics with clean water. Thank you. Travis Campbell, President and CEO, Far Bank Enterprises (Sage, Redington and RIO) Dave Perkins, Vice Chairman, The Orvis Co. K.C. Walsh, President and Owner, Simms Fishing Products, John Land Le Coq, CEO and Founder, Fishpond/Lilypond Inc.