Taxes collected for a specific purpose should either be used for that purpose – or repealed. With support of boat owners and other citizens, Indiana state legislature established a boat fee to support the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in 1989. Indiana Code (IC 6-6-11-12.5) specifically states that 2/3 of the fees are to be used for lake and river enhancement and 1/3 for conservation officers marine enforcement. 

Today, the $3.7 million dollars collected annually through LARE fees is no longer going towards it intended use. The July 16, 2010 report by the state budget agency indicated that $2,415,121 from the Lake Enhancement fund and $1,415,530 from the Conservation Officers Marine fund reverted to the general fund for the 2009-10 budget year. Indiana code (IC 6-6-11-12.5) clearly states that these funds are not to revert to the general fund.

Over the past two decades, LARE funds helped protect our natural water resources through implementation of agricultural best management practices, dredging of lakes, controlling the spread of invasive aquatic plants, constructing wetlands, and setting priority areas within watershed for treatment. These actions are imperative to maintaining the stability of local economies: loss of water clarity equates to a loss in property values; dirty lakes and rivers equate to revenue losses of boating, fishing, and other water-related businesses; clean-up of aquatic invasives, blue-green algae, and sediment far outpaces their preventive costs.

The safety and water quality that is so important to recreational uses, landowners, and local economies is imperiled through this blatant disregard of Indiana law. I ask that you and your legislative colleagues take steps to replace the funds that were illegally diverted in 2010 and that funds for the coming years are distributed as required by Indiana code.