Re: [Paddlewise] Registration Fees for Paddlecraft

Dave Kruger wrote:
> I have not been able to sort out the specifics, by state, of registration
which
> have been reported here so far, but I am curious what the pattern is. If
folks
> respond re: what their state does, I will make a summary and report back
on my
> findings.
>
> A. Does anyone know which states **require** registration of paddlecraft
(aka
> sea kayaks and canoes).
>
> B. For those states which **do** require registration:
>
> 1. How much is the annual fee?
>
> 2. What is the "return" for registration? IOW, does the state devote some
> funds to paddlecraft launching sites or marine trails or somesuch? Or, is
> there no clear return?
>

The main reason that boating registration is so attractive to state
governments is that states obtain Federal funding based on the number of
registered boats within the state.  Depending on how enlightened the state
agencies are, this can be real positive for paddlers - as Andy Knapp reports
in Minnesota - or a real negative - if the increased funding is put into the
state coffers as general revenue to be used to fund DNR programs, as is the
case in Illinois.  The Illinois DNR claims that it has made these funds
available for HPW launch sites, but the way that the program works in
Illinois is that some governmental entity (city, county, park district,
etc.) must request funding, which is granted on a percentage basis.  Unless
paddlers can interest a governmental body in requesting these funds - and
spending some of the local government money -  the funds remain invisible to
paddling clubs.

Another income source for the state is that the registration law also makes
it possible to enforce the payment of sales tax.

Principles aside, the boat registration cost is really minimal - in Illinois
it's $13 for a first-time registration, which is for a three-year period,
and then $6 for subsequent three-year registrations.  The fine for not
registering your boat is $75, so it really doesn't pay to protest the
registration law by not paying.

Another big problem area is in registering home-built boats, or boats that
have no serial numbers.  I've heard stories of the registration process
being drawn out to great lengths in such cases.

Although I live in Indiana where boats don't have to be registered, I was
president of the Chicago Whitewater Association when the Illinois boat
registration law was passed, and was an active participant in fighting the
Illinois boat registration law.  Copied below is a summary of what happened
in Illinois.   (The account below was written as part of an exchange I had
with an Alaskan whitewater paddler who posted on r.b.p. asking about boat
registration - apparently the Alaskan legislature last year was considering
the introduction of a "Boating Safety Law", which Dave Seng reported was
recently passed.)  My hope is that this information will be of some use to
fellow boaters living in states where boat registration is being considered.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Begin Account of Illinois Boat Registration:

The paddling community in Illinois found out about the requirement to
register human powered watercraft (HPW) *after* the law was enacted. The DNR
(Dept of Natural Resources) responded to a rash of power boating accidents
in a popular boating area (The Chain of Lakes in northeastern IL) by
rewriting the Boat Registration and Safety Act law to increase the penalties
for operating a power boat while drunk. The provisions to require HPW
registration were an afterthought, and were included without any input
whatsoever by the paddling community, although the DNR says it made 'every
effort possible' to involve the paddling community. These new requirements
prompted a sense of outrage, which was the catalyst that brought together
the coalition of paddling clubs to fight this law.

Our major points were that:
a) the passage of a law without input of the group that it affects amounts
to 'taxation without representation'
b) that the income from the newly enacted provisions was not being returned
to paddling community in the form of new access sites or other programs
beneficial to paddlers
c) that the expected income from the program would not cover the
administrative expenses.

We found sympathetic legislators who introduced virtually identical bills in
the House and the Senate for exempting HPW from the boat registration
requirements, and also found a lobbyist that hoped to position himself as
the spokesperson of the paddling community (and so worked for little to no
$). We published articles in all the paddling club newsletters asking that
boaters write letters to their legislators, the DNR, and the local
newspapers. Paddlers drove to the State capitol more than once to testify at
legislative committee hearings and to meet with DNR officials, and we met
with the House and Senate Majority leaders.

In one of the meetings with the DNR, we proposed to the DNR that IF they
would provide an accounting of monies generated from HPW registrations, and
would agree to fund paddling-specific programs, we would cease and desist in
our opposition of this law - but our pleas fell on deaf ears.  Instead, the
DNR introduced two bills into the legislature in an effort to sidetrack the
momentum that building for the paddler-friendly bills.

In the end, four bills were introduce into the legislature - two by the
paddling community to repeal the HPW registration requirements, and two by
the DNR in an attempt to provide some concessions while still requiring boat
registration. The concession were for exempting non-profits (scouts, church
camps, etc.) from registration, and doing away with the requirement to
display 3 inch numbers on HPW.

One of the paddler bills was killed in committee, but the other one made it
through the House and the Senate (by 90+%votes), largely on the virtues of
the 'taxation without representation' argument, as well as the
argument/question of "What's next? Registration of bicycles?" After making
it through the House and the Senate with overwhelming votes, the Governor
vetoed the bill.  The attempt to override the veto garnered only a 40% vote
(60% was needed to override) - no doubt the result of some heavy duty
lobbying/politicking on the part of the DNR.

See http://131.230.57.1/stat_rul/ILLREG.HTM for the text of the Illinois
Boating Safety Law

Hope this helps,
Erik Sprenne




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