Jet Skis Banned at Lake Powell
Settlement means that personal
watercraft will be banned at all national recreation areas, including Glen
Canyon and Lake Mead, effective Sept. 15, 2002.
Two more summers for person watercraft in the national parks. The small
vessels that generally accommodate one or two riders are to be banned. in all
national parks and recreation areas by Sept. 15, 2002, unless the Park Service
can prove the machines don't harm the environment on a site-by-site basis.
The gasoline-powered boats are already banned from 66 of the
87 parks, recreational areas and seashores where motorized boats are allowed.
But the settlement of a case accepted Thursday by U.S. District Judge Gladys
Kessler affects the remaining 21.
Kessler dismissed a challenge from watercraft manufacturers
and vendors to the agreement negotiated last December by the Interior Department
and the Bluewater Network, a San Francisco-based environmental group. The Bush
administration endorsed the accord.
"This Jet Ski settlement is great news for the national
parks," said Sean Smith, spokesman or Bluewater Network, which had sued the
National Park Service. "It will better protect the visiting public as well
as park resources from these noisy, smelly and dangerous machines."
The Park. Service agreed that each of the sites will be added to a list of personal watercraft-free zones in two years unless it can be shown the boats are harmless. Last year, the Park Service banned them from two-thirds of the national parks and Bluewater Network filed a federal lawsuit to widen the ban to the remaining areas. The Personal Watercraft Industry Association and the American Watercraft Association tried unsuccessfully to intervene. Manufacturers and owners have argued that personal watercraft pollute less and are more maneuverable than motorboats, and that the nation's 1.2 million watercraft owners have a right to use public waterways. |
 |
Monita Fontaine, the industry association's director, said Thursday she was disappointed .but still expected to get personal watercraft, which cost an average of $7,000, approved for' use in the parks based on new technology that reduces noise and emissions. Over the past three years, she said. the two-stroke out-board motors used in the boats have reduced their hydrocarbon emissions by 75 percent and their noise by 70 percent,.
"If there is evidence that
there is a substantial impact on the environment from Jet Ski use, they have the
right to ban them," she said. "However, we believe that we will be
able to pass any environmental assessment."
The 21 areas affected are:
 |
Glen Canyon National |
|
Recreation Area (Arizona, Utah) |
|
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Arizona, Nevada) |
|
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (California) |
|
Curecanti National Recreation Area (Colorado) |
|
Cumberland Island National Seashore (Georgia) |
|
Gulf Island National Seashore (Florida, Mississippi) |
|
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Indiana) |
|
Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts) |
|
Assateague Island National Seashore {Maryland/Virginia) |
|
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Michigan) |
|
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (Montana) |
|
Cape Lookout National Seashore (North Carolina) |
|
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (New Jersey, Pennsylvania) |
|
Fire Island National Seashore (New York) |
|
Gateway National Recreation Area (New York) |
|
Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Oklahoma) |
|
Arnistad National Recreation Area (Texas) |
|
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area (Texas) |
|
Padre Island National Seashore (Texas) |
|
Big Thicket National Pre- serve (Texas) |
|
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (Washington) |
On the Net:
Bluewater Network: http://www.bluewaternetwork.org
National Park Service: http:/ /www.nps.gov
Personal Watercraft Industry Association: http:/ /www.pwia.org
Source: John Heilprin, AP, Arizona Daily Sun, April 13, 2001, p A1 & 7
Copyright
2000. Northern Arizona University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED