A little-known bill to create a river recreation authority for 25 counties that border the Ohio River—including Boone, Kenton and Campbell—has been signed into law.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 712 establishing the Kentucky Ohio River Regional Recreation Authority, dubbed KORRRA, on April 9. When the law takes effect later this year, counties east to west will have a chance to join the new agency authorized to build recreation and economic development opportunities along the Kentucky side of the mighty Ohio.
Eleven or more of the 25 “target counties” must agree to participate in the authority before the agency can get to work. House Minority Whip Rep. Rachel Roberts (D-Newport) is excited about the potential impact in Northern Kentucky’s target counties, specifically Campbell County, which is home to Roberts’ district.
“This is economic development, but really, from where I am, this is a quality of life issue for us,” Roberts told HB 712 sponsor Rep. Ken Fleming (R-Louisville) when the bill passed a House committee last month. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in Campbell County in kayak sports and sculling and crew. I’m grateful for the bill.”
Bellevue, a city that lacks river access although it sits less than three miles from Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, is one Campbell County community Roberts said may benefit from HB 712. Points of access to the river is a goal and objective in Bellevue’s 2022 comprehensive plan.
Once in place, the authority would be responsible for designing, building and marketing the recreation system – plus generating the revenue to sustain it. Fees from permits, surcharges at festivals, parking or more could be levied to build revenue, according to the bill. Those fees will ultimately be decided by the authority’s board of directors.
Another part of the new law would authorize local option elections for alcohol sales at marinas, making more marinas eligible for retail package and drink licenses. Those provisions were not in the original bill but instead were added by the Senate, with agreement later from the House.
Besides Boone, Kenton and Campbell, other target counties in HB 712 are Ballard, Boyd, Bracken, Breckinridge, Carroll, Crittenden, Daviess, Gallatin, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Oldham, Pendleton, Trimble and Union County.
KORRRA is modeled after the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority, established in 2019. That effort is helping to build an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) trail system in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. The legislation to create the authority was passed by the 2017 Kentucky General Assembly.
Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore told LINK nky in an email that he is looking forward to the new authority’s work. Boone County is the largest of NKY’s core counties in terms of land area, with over three dozen miles of river frontage along its border.
“I am very excited about this new program. Boone County has 42 miles of Ohio river frontage, and I support more access to the river for our residents to enjoy,” Moore said.
Also excited about the initiative is Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, whose city is currently undergoing a massive transformation from the Covington Central Riverfront to Ovation to the $50 million Riverfront Commons trail.
“As members of the Ohio River Way Coalition, Covington supports the efforts of Brewster Rhoads and his colleagues in increasing tourism opportunities along the Ohio River, which is an important part of Covington’s history and fabric and obviously the defining geographical feature of this region,” Meyer told LINK in a statement. “The vision behind the Riverfront Commons hiking and biking trail – and Covington’s investment in that – was to reconnect our city to the river, and we will continue to look for ways to do that.”
Living along the Ohio river in Louisville has provided HB 712 sponsor Fleming with a lot of good memories, he told lawmakers when he presented HB 712 in committee last month. He said the legislation will do more to bring the natural and economic landscape together.
“This bill is not just about enhancing our economic landscape but is also a testament to our commitment to nurturing the rich outdoor recreation that Kentucky is famed for. We are pioneering an initiative designed to spearhead the development of an extensive recreational system stretching across our majestic Ohio River region,” Fleming said.
Rep. Chad Aull, a Lexington Democrat, didn’t let the distance between his district and the Ohio river keep him from wholeheartedly supporting HB 712. Aull was a cosponsor of the bill.
“I think this bill by definition is a rising tide that lifts all boats.,” Aull said when HB 712 passed committee last month.