Stevenson Public Boat Ramp to Open April 11

March 22, 2005

A new boat ramp in Stevenson will open on April 11 thanks to a partnership between the Alabama Department of Conservation’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, the City of Stevenson, Smurfit-Stone Corporation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. A ribbon-cutting for the opening will be held Monday, April 11 at 1 p.m. at the boat ramp, which is located off of Alabama Highway 117 where it crosses the Tennessee River.

Due to many requests from boaters in the Stevenson area, the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) first made an attempt to develop the old Snodgrass Bridge ferry site into a public boat ramp in 1992. It was not until Smurfit-Stone Corporation obtained the majority of the property that this public access area became a viable project. Smurfit-Stone agreed to a 15-year lease to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Tennessee Valley Authority also agreed to a long-term lease for its share of the property.

ADCNR is the initial administrative, financial and engineering partner in this project. Not counting manpower in the design, permitting and overseeing of the construction, ADCNR and WFF spent over $281,265 on this new facility. This funding is 25 percent Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries funds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and 75 percent Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) funds. The SFR funds are from a federal excise tax on fishing tackle and federal motor boat fuel tax. SFR and WFF funds are “user pay” programs in which only the user pays the cost and they are the ones who benefit from the programs.

With 117 public boat ramps, WFF cannot build new ones without partnership from a local agency. At this site, the City of Stevenson’s city council and Stevenson Utilities stepped forth to offer the security lights, police patrols, and routine maintenance such as mowing and litter pick-up.

Also supporting the Stevenson boat ramp project is Senator Lowell Barron and Representative John Robinson. “These programs can not survive without the continued support of federal and state legislators,” said Dan Thompson, Capital Development Coordinator for WFF. “We very much appreciate their help.”

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