roostwear
03-19-2003, 12:14 PM
The PWC saga continues.
Regulatory Review - 3/19/2003 12:54:36 PM
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PWC groups seek immediate access to Lake Powell
United States
A coalition of small business owners and recreational organizations filed suit on March 18 against the National Park Service (NPS) to lift a ban on personal watercraft (PWC), according to a Tuesday, March 18 statement from the American Watercraft Association (AWA).
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Utah, looks to grant PWC owners immediate access to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's Lake Powell. The suit alleges that the settlement agreement between a San Francisco-based anti-recreation group the Bluewater Network and NPS, which calls for the current ban, violated federal law because it improperly created a new rule while sidestepping the public process, according to AWA.
"This ban on PWC use will have drastic impacts on the local community which depends on tourism revenue," said business owner Freddie Hancock of Page, Arizona.
Tim McDaniels, another business owner, echoed Hancock's concerns. "The viability of many of our businesses depend on reasonable PWC access to Lake Powell. It is puzzling that even though the NPS concluded that PWC belong at Lake Powell and their own studies support that conclusion, PWC are still not allowed," he said.
Ban a result of "suspect" agreement
Personal watercraft were banned at Lake Powell as a result of a behind-closed-doors agreement between the Bluewater Network and the NPS, AWA stated. The suspect agreement came after a public rulemaking process had allowed for continued access for PWC at Lake Powell, in which the NPS spent several years and collected over 20,000 comments from the public, according to the association.
As a result of the agreement, PWC use can continue at Lake Powell only after scientific studies are conducted to assess their impact on the lake and after a "special rule" is adopted. While the studies have been completed and show little to no impact from continued PWC use, the "special rule" will not be completed until August at Lake Powell, according to AWA. Those who filed the lawsuit believe PWC should not be banned from the popular recreational boating destination for the summer without scientific or environmental reason.
Plaintiffs in the case include Page businesses Lake Powell Waterworld and Doo Powell, as well as the Utah Shared Access Alliance, BlueRibbon Coalition, and the American Watercraft Association.
Regulatory Review - 3/19/2003 12:54:36 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PWC groups seek immediate access to Lake Powell
United States
A coalition of small business owners and recreational organizations filed suit on March 18 against the National Park Service (NPS) to lift a ban on personal watercraft (PWC), according to a Tuesday, March 18 statement from the American Watercraft Association (AWA).
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Utah, looks to grant PWC owners immediate access to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area's Lake Powell. The suit alleges that the settlement agreement between a San Francisco-based anti-recreation group the Bluewater Network and NPS, which calls for the current ban, violated federal law because it improperly created a new rule while sidestepping the public process, according to AWA.
"This ban on PWC use will have drastic impacts on the local community which depends on tourism revenue," said business owner Freddie Hancock of Page, Arizona.
Tim McDaniels, another business owner, echoed Hancock's concerns. "The viability of many of our businesses depend on reasonable PWC access to Lake Powell. It is puzzling that even though the NPS concluded that PWC belong at Lake Powell and their own studies support that conclusion, PWC are still not allowed," he said.
Ban a result of "suspect" agreement
Personal watercraft were banned at Lake Powell as a result of a behind-closed-doors agreement between the Bluewater Network and the NPS, AWA stated. The suspect agreement came after a public rulemaking process had allowed for continued access for PWC at Lake Powell, in which the NPS spent several years and collected over 20,000 comments from the public, according to the association.
As a result of the agreement, PWC use can continue at Lake Powell only after scientific studies are conducted to assess their impact on the lake and after a "special rule" is adopted. While the studies have been completed and show little to no impact from continued PWC use, the "special rule" will not be completed until August at Lake Powell, according to AWA. Those who filed the lawsuit believe PWC should not be banned from the popular recreational boating destination for the summer without scientific or environmental reason.
Plaintiffs in the case include Page businesses Lake Powell Waterworld and Doo Powell, as well as the Utah Shared Access Alliance, BlueRibbon Coalition, and the American Watercraft Association.