-----Original Message----- From: PPA Staff [mailto:paddlespt_at_unidial.com] Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 8:55 PM To: SWPS Subject: Re: FW: GASP! Peace River experience Mr. van den Hurk, It is ironic that I received your e-mail on the eve of the second anniversary of the two outfitters you mentioned having been honored with PPA's prestigious Environmental Excellence Award for the annual cleanup they sponsor on the Peace River each year. Outfitters from across the state of Florida have helped sponsor PPA's participation in the Congress on Resource Capacity in Colorado next month. If some folks have their way at this meeting, you won't have to worry about the numbers, you and I will have to submit requests for our permits to visit areas like the Peace years in advance and pay exorbitant fees to the government for the privilege to paddle there and in other areas. It is my understanding from past visits to the Peace River that both outfitters mentioned in your letter have fee title to property where they assign canoeists camping sites. I am not aware of public lands along the Peace River where these two companies launch most of their trips. It seems to me that the campsites you were referring to are the private property of Canoe Outpost and Canoe Safari, but I may be mistaken. As a private paddler myself and one who enjoys fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation, I always seek permission from landowners prior to using their property, I encourage you and your party to do the same. Certainly riparian landowners have concerns about the condition of their lands and the river. However, I have only had good reports from landowners and local businesses regarding the canoe rentals along the Peace River. By owning the land and providing some crowd control over the paddlers, the canoe businesses minimize the impact these people have in many ways. Think of the cost involved if everyone of the hoards you observed drove their own car, set up their own shuttle and ran their own trip in their own boats. Of course the canoe manufacturers, oil companies, etc. would love to have it that way. You make a good point about the alcohol and several outfitters across the nation have imposed limits or banned it all together. Unfortunately, in many states that action is a violation of one's personal rights. I am not sure what the law is in Florida. Unless you are on the state, federal or government payroll or an employee of a non-profit organization, your paycheck comes from your company's business. A business providing a product or service for a profit. If you work for the government or a non-profit, then your paycheck comes from taxes and donations for-profit companies provide. Please don't begruge these entrepreneurs the right to earn a living. By the time these folks pay the salaries, upkeep on vehicles and grounds, marketing costs and insurance premiums, local, state and federal taxes, there's precious little left to take to the bank. Florida's Professional Paddlesports Association sets high standards for its members and meets regularly to discuss ways to provide improved quality service to the public while protecting and enhancing the resources that they serve. It has been my personal experience that the vast majority of outfitters in Florida, across the nation and indeed around the world are in a word, "stewards" of their waterways. Unfortunately, they can not control the behavior of the people once they are on the water. I too, have experienced discusting behavior while afloat from fisherman, powerboaters, private boaters, jetskiers, and g.q. public in a rental boats. Generally, alcohol or some other form of drug is the real problem, that and the fact that people are so far removed from nature, they just don't know how to act when they experience it. PPA Board policy dictates that I respond to your letter and send a copy of it to the SouthEast Regional Directory, Jean Faulk. I have also sent a copy to Canoe Safari and Canoe Outpost. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to contact PPA about this issue. I sense what you were really expressing is your frustrations that the Peace paddling experience just didn't live up to your expectations. There're very little places left where we can find solitude. I know of a few. Even in Florida, but I don't dare share them. I particularly appreciate your recommendations and suggestions on how to mitigate the problem and welcome additional comments to this reply. Happy Paddlin, Jim Thaxton, Executive Director SWPS wrote: > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-gasp_at_lists.intelenet.net > [mailto:owner-gasp_at_lists.intelenet.net] On Behalf Of Peter van den Hurk > Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 11:40 AM > To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net; gasp_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subject: GASP! Peace River experience > > Gulf Area Sea Paddlers - GASP! > > Last weekend (Nov. 6-7) we did an overnight canoe trip on the Peace River, > from Zolfo Springs to Gardner, Fl. I want to use this opportunity to > express my disgust about what is going on on this river. While we were > waiting for our shuttle to be set, we saw 5 busloads of paddlers being > dumped at the put in at Prairy Creek park, by the Canoe Outpost and Canoe > Safaries. And more must have been brought in earlier. Most of these > paddlers were very loud already, and stuffed their canoes with coolers and > suitcases of beer, not being bothered by the presence of other, > non-commercially-outfitted, nature loving paddlers. During the waves of > these annoying rednecks coming over, we even lost some of our gear. Once on > the river we were constantly bothered by obviously intoxicated river users: > they flipped their canoes, leaving their stuff floating down river, they > were loud, annoying, and hitting on the females in our group. And they were > everywhere! By the end of the day, while looking for a campsite, there was > no way to avoid these hords of neanderthals: all potential campsites were > taken. We ended up on a muddy site, as far away as possible from the noise. > But still, after dark there was no way not to be bothered by the noise > produced, which culminated when loud fireworks were set off next to us in > the middle of the night! > > We were looking forward to a quiet weekend on the Peace River, away from > the Homecoming madness in Gainesville. But this was even worse. And it is > not only my own peace that I am worried about, I am worried about the > river. I was disgusted by all the trash that is floating around, and I can > see that the landowners are not happy with the hundreds of people camping > on the banks each weekend, without any facilities around. Obviously nobody > cares to dig a pit for his/her droppings, fire circles are everywhere, > clothslines are left behind, and then there is the trash! Beer cans and > glass everywhere! > > Needless to say that I had a very bad experience this weekend. And I blame > this on the commercial outfitters, who obviously make good money out of the > exploitation of the precious natural resources ($60 per canoe). I am not an > advocate of alcohol restrictions, adults should know how to drink > responsibly. > But in this case I think it would help a lot when alcoholic beverages would > be banned from the river, to weed out the people who should be in a bar, > and not on a beautiful river. And I think that the commercial outfitters > can do a lot to help achieve this: just don't allow beer in the bus. In the > end this may even help their businesses survive! For now I will not advise > anybody to go paddling on the Peace River. > > Peter van den Hurk > > *************************************************************************** > GASP - Gulf Area Sea Paddlers Mailing List > Submissions: gasp_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: gasp-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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