corp. of engineers lake fishing?

[eric]

With the federal law, can you fish in a boat with valid texas chl and armed in a corps. of engineers lake in Texas?

[Keith B]

See my response here http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 12#p183512 All USACOE property is off limits, including the lake.

[eric]

Wow, no more fishing and will not send money to the state for high dollar fishing license. And no renewal fee when it it looking other folks were right when they said there were to many restrictions on carry. What a deal.

[amber]

Why do you need a gun to go fishing? Are there sharks in the lake?

[eric]

o amber, have you ever been fishing near a marina when a slip renter threatens you and says he will shoot on a non - corps lake evidently like they own the lake? Well I have on 2 occassions and another wanted to fight. There is a texas law about harrassment of fisherman.

[eric]

o well, I was a little hasty about no fishing and no renewal but it is irritating for someone to say why would you need a gun there. And yes there are land sharks.

[iflyabeech]

Who is this amber and whats with the osama signature on this board?

[anygunanywhere]

Who is this amber and whats with the osama signature on this board?

Every gun board needs a resident card carrying liberal to deliver the good old fashioned reality check every so often to remind us why we actually do and say what we do.

Just to keep this post from being slammed for being off-topic, it is of my opinion that a government agency, specifically the army engineer corps is in direct violation of the spirit and letter of the second amendment, which applies to the federal government, in prohibiting firearms on corps land. Exactly what is a branch of the army supposed to be doing operating lakes anyway!

Texas Parks and Wildlife could do a much better job.

Anygunanywhere

[iflyabeech]

Just to keep this post from being slammed for being off-topic, it is of my opinion that a government agency, specifically the army engineer corps is in direct violation of the spirit and letter of the second amendment, which applies to the federal government, in prohibiting firearms on corps land. Exactly what is a branch of the army supposed to be doing operating lakes anyway!

Thats for sure !

[Charles L. Cotton]

Who is this amber and whats with the osama signature on this board?

She appears to be an anti-gun troll and her signature line was deleted because of the link to the inappropriate video. "She" is a great example why I cannot go into detail about some things we are working on, but I have no doubt that are other anti-gunners following the board that don't join or post.

Legitimate discussions of opposing views are fine, even encouraged, but trolling won't be tolerated.

Chas.

[eric]

Thanks Chas.

[couzin]

Exactly what is a branch of the army supposed to be doing operating lakes anyway!

Texas Parks and Wildlife could do a much better job.

I really like TPWD and their folks - but they are not equipped to handle the lakes and reservoirs inside Texas. They are underfunded and have even had to give away a bunch of historic properties to the Texas Historical Commission recently in a Texas senate deal to recover some of the licensing fees paid for hunting and fishing in Texas so they could stay afloat. They simply do not have the resources to manage the hundreds of thousands of acres of Corps lands and waters - unless you want additional taxes and huge increases in hunting and fishing fees.

Now beyond that - I was a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) employee (now retired) and implying that we don't know what we are doing is insulting. Those folks employed there work hard and are always ready to do more. Whether it is designing and building a hanger or barracks at some military installation, constructing a flood reduction project, responding to disasters in the US and around the world, or deploying to Iraq (yes - as civilian employees of the Army - you still go where told), this is a premier organization and I am proud of my time there. The USACE has some 36,000 civilian employees working in USACE offices around the world (and about 700 uniformed personnel). Their dual mission is to provide military support (design, build, environmental, etc) and civil works responsibilities (navigation, shoreline replenishment, water control (not water supply BTW - the water is always owned by the local entity), reservoir construction, recreation, etc.).

If you want to learn a small bit about why USACE has been handed a large part of water management responsibilities in the US - then read on - if you could give a rat's bottom and still have your opinion, then don't even bother.

First some background. The US Army Corps of Engineers was formed in 1775 by the Continental Congress when it created a separate Army headed by an engineer. In 1779 Congress created the separate Corps of Engineers. One of its first tasks was to build fortifications near Boston at Bunker Hill. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that we know today was created in 1802 when Thomas Jefferson authorized to organize and establish a Corps of Engineers to be stationed at West Point to form a military academy to train engineers. The United States Military Academy was under the direction of the Corps of Engineers until 1866. The USACE's authority over river works in the United States began with its fortification of New Orleans after the War of 1812.

Now - as to why USACE handles some (some - not all) reservoirs (occasionally called 'lakes' by mistake) - it has been a US law beginning in 1824 when assigned the dredging and management responsibilities for the Mississippi River and tributaries, further amended and mandated by various laws since, including the 1936 Flood Control Act of 1936 which gave the Corps the mission to provide flood protection to the entire country and constructed almost all of the reservoirs you now utilize. Again, not 'all', because States, even cities, sometimes fund and build their own reservoirs without Federal dollars and the oversight by either the USACE or Bureau of Land Management. The actual number of reservoirs managed by USACE in Texas is actually extremely small when compared to the real number of named reservoirs (some 6500) in the State. Technically, Caddo Lake having been originally formed by the log raft downstream is a 'natural' lake - but when a control structure was placed on it after the raft was removed - it became by default a 'reservoir.' Thus - there are no 'natural' lakes in Texas beyond the occasional playas in the panhandle area that fill and drain. But, I digress.

I won't start a debate about the USACE prohibiting weapons - simply, any branch of the Federal government can make regulations that are laws to be followed. I disagree with the USACE policy as well and have said so here as well as firing off letters to HQ USACE and to our Senators and Congresspersons. I have attempted here to inform as to what the regulation currently says and what the penalties would/will be. I wasn't defend the policy, I was saying there is a responsibility to enforce the regulation as needed. Simple enough, but for one member of the forum - I was the biggest jerk (and other homage’s) that ever climbed out of the primordial slime that spawned me and the entire race of Federal employees (that little onslaught taught me not to include my email address in my profile). Times are a-changing with regard to carrying concealed handguns/weapons as you are witnessing regarding Department of the Interior lands. Thanks are to Jerry Patterson for that. Look for changes to be forthcoming with the USACE policy soon as well. Laws and regulations do not change overnight. But simply inferring that USACE ('Army') doesn’t have any business managing reservoirs is knee jerk, inappropriate, and insulting to the thousands of people that work in that environment.

I will go back to my cave now and lurk some more...

[Corona]

Why do you need a gun to go fishing? Are there sharks in the lake?

using that mentality, why do ANY of us need to carry a gun?

*sigh*

[anygunanywhere]

Laws and regulations do not change overnight. But simply inferring that USACE ('Army') doesn’t have any business managing reservoirs is knee jerk, inappropriate, and insulting to the thousands of people that work in that environment.

I will go back to my cave now and lurk some more...

Our (Mrs. Anygun's and I) dearest friend's husband is an engineer with USACE and does permitting in the Galveston office. I know of which I speak. He is an amazing individual, 6o years old and they have just adopted three little girls from a drug addicted sister of hers. One of the little girls just had her first birthday.

It was not a knee jerk reaction, nor was it an insult (at least not intended to be)against all those who work there.

Sorry if I struck a raw nerve, Cuz. Please digest my comments in the same light that not all LEO are bad, not all legislators are useless (all of the time), not all democrats are gun confiscators, and all immigrants are not illegal.

I have not seen anything at all regarding USACE changing their policy on firearms, and the firearms prohibition should not be there in the first place. They can dredge rivers and do their thing all day long without infringing on anyone's rights.

Anygunanywhere

[Doug.38PR]

Why do you need a gun to go fishing? Are there sharks in the lake?

Have you ever seen Deliverance? If so, no further comment seems necessary.

If not, well let's just say you never know what weirdo is going to walk up into your camp or fishing site, even in the country. Besides, a gun can come in handy for snakes, gators and even black bears (I understand they are making a comeback in North Louisiana, maybe in East Texas too)

The Army Corp. of Engineers is a dirty word to a lot of people (that being the case I apologize for my language Mr. Cotton) since they were given charge of "protecting the environment" back in the 1970s with all the environmental and "endangered species" acts.