12.13.16

Hoeven Hosts Roundtable to Outline Legislation Enabling Lake Tschida Homeowners to Remain on Lots, Limiting Fees for Reservoirs Permits

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today held a roundtable with Lake Tschida homeowners to outline legislation he authored that enables them to remain on their lots, and limits fee increases for permittees on Lake Tschida, Patterson Lake and Jamestown Reservoir. The provisions were passed by Congress late Friday as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. Hoeven was joined by Senator Heidi Heitkamp, who helped pass the legislation in the Senate, and Congressman Kevin Cramer, who worked to pass it in the House.

“Outdoor recreation is an important part of our state’s heritage, including at Lake Tschida, Patterson Lake and Jamestown Reservoir,” Hoeven said. “That’s why I worked to get support for our legislation that will allow people to continue to live and work, both seasonally and year-round, on these popular recreational areas. At Lake Tschida, we are allowing homeowners, who have made investments in good faith with approval from the Bureau of Reclamation, to stay on their lots and enjoy the improvements they have made. At all three reservoirs, we are providing some relief and more certainty for permit fee increases, which will allow people more time to plan and budget.”

“Folks along these lakes will be able to enjoy boating, swimming, and fishing for years to come thanks to the provision Senator Hoeven and I worked on to make sure these lots remain affordable,” said Heitkamp. “Lake Patterson, Lake Tschida, and Jamestown Reservoir are valuable assets to our state, expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, which is why we fought to make sure North Dakotans can continue to enjoy them.”

“Enjoying the great outdoors is something we cherish in North Dakota, which is why one of my priorities in Congress is to ensure we’re getting maximum use of our federal lands,” said Cramer. “Working to that end with the Senators and our colleagues, we were able to get these important provisions passed to ensure trailers would continue to be used at Lake Tschida and fees across Bureau of Reclamation facilities in North Dakota remain affordable.”

Hoeven Amendment Enables Lake Home Owners to Remain on Lake Tschida

The Hoeven legislation enables owners with homes around Lake Tschida to stay on their lots. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has issued permits for homes to be located around the lake for decades, but the agency has notified owners that they will have to remove their lake homes after 2021. The Hoeven legislation allows the homes to remain on the land as long as they are sufficiently anchored to the ground for safety.

The dam and reservoir are managed by the BOR and the recreation areas around the lake, which offer fishing, boating, camping, and swimming, are managed by the local Tri-Cities Joint Job Development Authority.

Hoeven Amendment Limits Fee Increases for permit holders on Lake Tschida, Patterson Lake and the Jamestown Reservoir

The Bureau of Reclamation was set to almost double fees at Lake Tschida and more than double fees at Patterson Lake and the Jamestown Reservoir. The Hoeven language limits the total fee increase to no more than 33 percent over five years for all three.

You can find a fact sheet on the new legislation and how it works here.

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