Oregon's New $5. Boat Tax (or $90. ticket) to Apply to Stand Up Paddleboards. This is Crazy!

Have you ever paddled your kayak, raft, drift-boat or canoe or sailed your boat over pristine freshwater lakes and rivers and felt really good about it? Not only are you having a great time, you know you're also not contributing to noise pollution, fuel consumption and the accidental petro-chemical pollution that can happen with motorized craft.

Don't rest on your laurels. There is another pollutant that is quickly becoming a scourge in freshwater inland waterways, the zebra and quagga mussels. An invasive aquatic species, they invade and clog power plants, industrial and drinking water intakes, foul boat hulls and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.

The invasive mussels hitch-hike primarily from infested fresh waters on trailered boats. States with infested water bodies include: Nevada, California, Arizona and Colorado.

To develop money to fight these species, the Oregon State Marine has implemented a $5.00 annual fee on all non-motorized boats over 10 feet long. You can read more about HB2220 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program on the government website.

It's not just $5.00 that is the issue. Think of the $90. ticket that is possible if you don't comply. Here's a quote from the Albany Democrat Herald.

"But HB 2220 calls for no criminal punishment at all. It calls for civil penalties for anyone knowingly bringing invasive species to Oregon. And as for being caught without the proper boating permit, the offense is a Class D violation, the least serious kind, for which the fine is $90.
______________________________________________________________

According to Bill Monroe, a writer with the Oregonian, bill HB2220 will include ANY Craft. Here's some of what he had to say in Bill Monroe's Column: A Surprise for Oregon Boaters and Marine Board -- A $5 Permit:

"The Oregon State Marine Board is dealing with a sneaker wave of the first order that came ashore in the hectic last few days of the recent legislative melee in Salem.

With just a few days' notice, and at the Legislature's request to consolidate numerous bill requests about fighting off aquatic invaders, the Marine Board helped draft a new $5 permit required of everyone in the state who operates a boat or floating craft classified at 10 feet or longer.

Pole, pedal, paddle or gas or electric motor, there are no exceptions to the fee that will be in addition to current boaters' permits, fishing licenses and motor boat registrations. Permits would last two years for motorized boats and have to be renewed annually for nonmotorized craft.

"It came to us late in the session," said Randy Henry, Marine Board policy analyst. "Some details are still to be sorted out."

Henry said the bill -- which late this past week was awaiting Gov. Ted Kulongoski's expected signature -- will raise an estimated $3 million per biennium to help protect the state from anticipated invasions of waterborne exotics. Zebra mussels and other unwanted plants and waterborne critters are spreading like bad viruses across state borders nationwide, and many believe it's just a matter of time before they get into Oregon waters.

Most of the money will go to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife for the costs of inspections, research, cleanup, boat-washing stations, education and other operations to keep Oregon clean.

Boaters already are asked to wash down their boats every time they use them to prevent transferring unwanted organisms between lakes, rivers and bays. However, out-of-state trailered boats have been confirmed to have entered the state with dreaded freshwater mussels on their hulls. Zebra and quagga mussels multiply quickly, eat up organisms at the base of valuable food chains, clog water intakes and hydroelectric systems and cake up on the hulls of boats and ships of all kinds.. . . READ MORE

____________________________________________________________

We think that there is a huge difference between a stand up paddle surf board and any of the other vessels this law is going to apply to. Unlike any of the other vessels, SUP boards do not have any hidden crevices or cracks where invasive species can hide. And, SUP boards are NEVER moored, a key condition that is conducive to mussels attaching to the hull of a vessel.

Also, we see no reason a manual craft such as a SUP, kayak or raft has to pay $5. per year when a motorized boat pays only $5 for 2 years. The permit goes with the person rather than the vessel, if you have a quiver of boards and loan one out while you're using another of your boards, the loaner will need a permit. This is ridiculous!

The other problem we have with this legislation is that it hassles honest citizens. It will make law-breakers out of good citizens who don't comply. When this law is active, the average Oregonian taking their SUP board out for a paddle now-and-then or as little as once a year, can be ticketed for not having a registration sticker.

And, what actual difference in our waterways can this legislation make when people are crossing state lines regularly with their powerboats and not getting them inspected? We have fruit inspection stops at state lines. Surely the nooks and crannies in a powerboat as well as the water intake areas in the motor are a more likely source of invasive species hitchhikers than an SUP surfboard.

This legislation seems like a unwise move and is similar in tone to news of a bicycle tax that was being considered by the Oregon legislature. Considering the pollutants avoided by the use of non-motorized water crafts, we would hope that our government would reward rather than regressively tax our non-motorized water toys.

If we need to be educated about an unsuspected danger our SUP boards can cause, we invite you to leave a comment explaining your opinion. We'd like to hear your thoughts about this issue.

To Contact the OR State Marine Board: Email: marine.board@state.or.us
Write: Call: (503) 378-8587
P. O. Box 14145
435 Commercial St NE #400
Salem, OR 97309-5065

Marine Board Members:

• Paul Donheffner, Director
• Wayne Shuyler, Deputy Director
• Randy Henry, Policy Planning Analyst
• June LeTarte, Assistant to the Director

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com Thank you for purchasing your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

Odell Lake Pioneer Cup Paddle Race 2009 Winners

This years' 29th Annual Pioneer Cup Paddle Race 2009 on Odell Lake, Oregon was a success! Originally a 5 mile downwind canoe race, this year there were only two canoes out of the 32 vessels entered. This paddle race at Odell Lake, Oregon is fun for kayak surf skis, traditional kayaks, canoes, stand up paddle boards and outriggers. This year there were two of the new type of craft by Hobie with the Hobie Mirage Drive.

Despite the U.S. Forest Service warning about the lake algae, the paddle race went off without a hitch. John Milandin (the race organizer) offered himself as a guinea pig telling the racers that the prior evening he'd bathed his arms and face in the lake water and survived unscathed. One guy observed that John even looks younger after his lake water treatment!

Special thanks to John and Janet Milandin and their grand daughter Darby Sullivan for organizing the event. Thanks to the two Odell Lake lodges that offer support: Odell Lake Lodge on the East end (rustic log lodge hotel with restaurant) on the downwind side of the lake and Shelter Cove at the West end (RV and tent camping with a little store).

Odell Lake Lodge hosted the post-race BBQ on their deck. A yummy fresh potato salad helped the racers pile back on any lost carbs from the exertion. Thanks also to Ryan Lewis the chef and Bill Meyers the race timer.

Here's a list of winners: There were no gender or age groups -- just classes based on the vessel.

1st OVERALL: Tinh Vu 36:55 (all of the top three winners were on surf-ski style kayaks)
2nd OVERALL: Pam Stevenson 41:10
3rd OVERALL: Patrick Erwert 41:10 (apparently, Ladies are "first"in the Pioneer Cup!)

Erick Scharffenberg and Del Scharffenberg 41:55 canoe
Doug Gomez and Martin Gyorgufalyf 41:60 kayak tandem
Jason Tedrow 44:00 outrigger
David Smullin 44:30 kayak
Ron Taylor 44:44 kayak
John Kelly 45:30 kayak
Bard Kraler and Joe Quang 45:33 canoe
Peter Miller 46:36 outrigger
Lisa Jakubowski 47:14 kayak
Michael Heare 47:40 kayak
Chuck Tucker 49:51 kayak
Paul Reznick 49:53 kayak
Ken Briegleb 52:37 kayak
Mary Parker and Bino Fowler 53:04 Kayak tandem
Rachel Mavis 53:42 Kayak
Celine Godin and RObert Oborne 54:39 Kayak tandem
Kerie Raymond 55:36 outrigger
Todd Whitby 55:44 kayak
Regan Ertle 56:24 kayak
Thomas Dean 56:51 SUP
Randall Barna 57:25 SUP
Tim Kerns 1:03:52 Kayak
Suzie Miller 1:4:14 SUP
Isabella Acosta Barna 1:04:28 SUP
Dennis Oliphant 1:04:28 SUP
Debbie Delateur 1:05:52 Kayak
Nancy Jumper 1:07:39 kayak
Bob "Captain Sawdust" Jumper 1:08:13 SUP
Hannah Olson 1:08:15 SUP
Cristina Acosta 1:08:57 SUP (Winner of the overall memorable (but not coveted) Sightseer Award!)

The Pioneer Cup Paddle Race at Odell Lake is so much fun. It's always on the fourth Saturday of July, so mark your calendars accordingly. Read more about past Odell Lake Pioneer Cup Paddle Races with information about where to camp and stay.

Do you want good stand up paddle gear for the race? Remember life jackets are now required for stand up paddle boards that are not in surf zones. Get your comfy life jacket at our on-line store.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Cleaning Up the River

Photo: Eddy Miller found some trash when he was paddling the Deschutes River and carried it for miles until he got to a public trash can. Way to go Eddy!! Thanks for setting such a great example!

Some people just don't get it. They throw something away and forget that "away" is just another way of saying "somewhere-else-other-than-next-to-me". And that attitude is really annoying when I'm on the water and see trash either floating, sunk or on the shoreline. Throwing anything into the water that isn't easily biodegradable (like your apple-core is) only results in pollution.

A side effect of getting on the water regularly, is that we are becoming more aware of water quality. Things that we never really paid much attention to before we stepped into the water regularly, like toxic algae blooms (a natural phenomenon on some of the Cascade Lakes) or agricultural water pollution (a big deal in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon) are now personally important.

And, considering the effects that Global Climate Change is having and predicted to have upon our planets fresh water systems and seas, becoming sensitive to water quality issues is important. Water purity and healthy freshwater rivers and lakes are fed from rain and snow. In North America (and other countries whose latitude puts it closer to the poles) global climate change is already resulting in changes to the snow pack.

This past winter 2009, our daughter Isabella competed in the Cross Country Skiing Junior Olympics, held in Truckee, California. Allison Gannet, founder of Save Our Snow Foundation spoke eloquently about the interconnection of the snow packs around the world and the effect on water. Take a moment to look at her site and learn about how to shrink your own carbon foot print. Shrinking your carbon foot print is a pro-active and personal way to support our water ways.

Stand up paddle boarding has not only changed our lives by being such fun and introducing us to cool and interesting people, standup paddling is awakening us to our intimate human connection with the water system. See you on the water!

Purchase your stand up paddleboard gear from us at www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com
We appreciate your support. Thanks!

SUPs and PFDs

This is a follow-up to my post August 12,'08 "Hassled About PFD?"

The US Coast Guard recently made a determination:

"Based on the information available, the Coast Guard has determined that, when beyond the narrow limits of a swimming, surfing or bathing area, the device known as a "paddleboard" is a vessel under 46 U.S.C. 2101, and therefore subject to applicable regulations administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and its Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, unless specificallly exempted."

In essence, if the paddleboard is being used for transport on lakes, bays, or rivers, a PFD is required.

I guess we're responsible for national policy on this. I doubt that
anyone making this decision has ever been on a paddleboard (maybe never
even seen one) and certainly didn't get any input from the paddling
community. If so, the paddlers could easily explain that the PFD
requirement will not increase the safety of the sport in most cases.
Granted, a paddler could get struck by lightning or hit-and-run by a
boat and knocked unconscious. But then, the PFD would only save them if
they were wearing it and the rule says it just needs to be on-board.
Paddleboards are unsinkable. A more common sense safety rule is to wear
a tether-leash attaching you to your board and this is widely practiced
without the need of regulation.

Paddleboarding is a healthy, low-impact and environmentally friendly new
sport. The enthusiasts do it because they are so un-encumbered by
standing on top of a board instead of sitting within a boat. The feeling
of freedom and experience of the outing is incomparable. Some paddlers
choose to wear PFD,s and my point is that it should be a choice. The
expectation is that it will not be required to have a PFD because
everybody knows a board is not a boat.

The reactions from the few people that were already warned by marine patrols were brought to my attention immediately, disbelieving, distasteful, even calling it harassment.

I'm requesting that the Board consider rule making and adopt rule
language to exempt "paddle boards" from the PFD requirement. I will be
glad to testify and could provide many others to testify if it would help.

Randall Barna

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com Thank you for purchasing your SUP gear from us. We appreciate your support.
w

Deschutes River Water Trail Proposal in Bend, Oregon

River trails enable pedestrians, cyclists and nature lovers looking for an accessible outdoor experience. Cities around the nation have discovered that a trail on the river is even better. This idea, referred to as a whitewater park is successful in different parts of the country. Combining recreation needs with wildlife and river preservation, whitewater parks bring a growing variety of gasoline-free visitors to any town with a trickle of water and some foresight. Kayakers, riverboarders, rafters, floaters and standup paddlers are the players riding the water.

An inclusive list of whitewater parks is on Ripboard.com . The US National Whitewater Center in North Carolina, East Race Whitewater course outside of Chicago, Clearcreek Whitewater park in Golden, Colorado and the Reno Whitewater park in Downtown Reno, Nevada are examples of towns on-board with whitewater parks. The widespread popularity and resulting financial revenue this type of development brings to inland waterways around the country is inspiring others to do the same.

Wednesday, Jan. 23rd in Bend, Oregon, the Bend Metro Park and Recreation District held a public meeting asking interested residents to comment on three conceptual designs for improvements to the Deschutes River at the Colorado Avenue dam that include a whitewater park and replacing the existing pedestrian bridge with a safer structure.

Jayson Bowerman put the word out and paddlers of every type attended. Standup paddlers from the Bend community that attended the meeting were Kerie Raymond, Tod Wooldridge, Ron Thompson and me, Cristina Acosta. Kerie Raymond was quoted extensively in The Bend Bulletin, Sec. C, page 1, continued to page 5, Jan. 24, 2008. Here's an excerpt:

Residents weigh concepts to improve safety at Bend's Colorado Avenue dam . . . . . . . . Several people who attended said they favored concepts that separated whitewater paddlers, who would gravitate toward the pool-drop area, from floaters and boaters simply passing through. "If you're developing (pools) and (whitewater) play spaces but you can't play because people are constantly coming down, it doesn't work." Raymond said. Raymond said she wanted a design that would work for many river users.

Ron Thompson made the public recommendation to ensure that the proposed new bridge height would be tall enough to accommodate Standup Paddlers.

Keisha Burns of Central Oregon's News Channel 21 KTVZ-TV interviewed me at the meeting. Like Kerie, I'm very supportive of and excited by the proposal. The KTVZ link has a video Here's text excerpts:

Deschutes dam safety improvements win favor. But Colorado spillway plans have no funding, timetable.
By Keisha Burns, KTVZ.COM Posted: Jan 24, 2008 12:02 AM

Central Oregonians shared their thoughts Wednesday night on safety improvements for a popular recreational activity in Bend that has claimed two lives in recent years.
The Deschutes River attracts locals and tourists every summer, but it's the spillway at the Colorado Avenue Bridge dam and spillway that poses a threat to floaters.
The Bend Metro Parkand Rec District does not own the dam, but it is doing its part to help increase boater safety, while taking input from the public.
Cristina Acosta is a stand-up paddler and she said floaters don't always make good judgement while floating in the water.
"Sometimes they don't always judge well, like the winds pick up and their craft is such as a large inner tube," she said.
Snow, ice and wildlife are attracted to the Colorado Dam during the winter, but by summer the potential for trouble floats. . . . Those who attended the meeting were impressed with the ideas and sketches, including Acosta.
"I'm excited to see the mix between the natural riparian areas, with the different water animals being nurtured along, with making it more fun for humans," she said. "I think that's a good combination, I was happy to see that in the sketches."
Laughlin said the public's input is important to get the project going.

Public meetings will continue to be scheduled to allow the public to be involved in the design process.