I went out last weekend with my wife to Lake Goodwin. We only had a few hours before dark to go, so I thought it might be okay to at least get out on Saturday. Lake Goodwin is part of Wenberg State Park, near Kayak Point State Park. I have never, ever paid a launch fee prior to this occasion, even when using boat launch docks. The ranger insisted that I had to pay to launch a kayak, even though I was sure that hand-carry boats have no such fee applicable. He asked me quite angrily why I didn't think I had to pay, while "everyone else does." I forked out $5 (supposed to cost $4, but no change for a $5 with me). I guess I had a weak moment. I ought to have had him find the exact law. The notices made no such distinction, though obviously I was not using a trailer nor was I taking up any more space with my vehicle than the rest of the visitors. I basically decided $5 wasn't much to part with, since I had no desire to make someone angry even angrier and waste time that could be spent in the water. There was a Jet Ski association out in full force that evening. They were doing the usual hollering and flipping around, jumping off ski boat wakes. I wonder what the club goes to practice? Anyway, once they left, it was a halfway decent place to paddle about. Except $4 is enough for gas to get one up to Washingon Park on a longer day. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
elias.ross_at_software.com wrote: > > I went out last weekend with my wife to Lake Goodwin. We only had a few > hours before dark to go, so I thought it might be okay to at least get > out on Saturday. Lake Goodwin is part of Wenberg State Park, near Kayak > Point State Park. Ummm, locality? State? Country? Continent? Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 11:45 AM 10/9/00 -0700, elias.ross_at_software.com wrote: >I went out last weekend with my wife to Lake Goodwin. We only had a few >hours before dark to go, so I thought it might be okay to at least get >out on Saturday. Lake Goodwin is part of Wenberg State Park, near Kayak >Point State Park. I have never, ever paid a launch fee prior to this >occasion, even when using boat launch docks. The ranger insisted that I >had to pay to launch a kayak, even though I was sure that hand-carry >boats have no such fee applicable. He asked me quite angrily why I >didn't think I had to pay, while "everyone else does." Actually, you're rather lucky, in only getting nailed once. We've had an outbreak of fee launches in Michigan the last few years. I have to pay a $20.00 per year fee to use the state park where I do the majority of my paddling -- actually, it's a vehicle pass, the launch is free. (I got caught a week ago when I had to take my wife's car with no annual permit sticker and I got nailed for an extra four bucks. But that's not what grinds. Another lake has a DNR boat launch -- not DNR parks division, but DNR rec division -- and they want ***another*** 24 bucks a year to use that. That one really grinds, since that boat launch was originally township property, paid for out of local property tax dollars, and donated to the state. It was free for many years, but now they have the gall to charge. At least they don't charge when the flunky isn't there to collect the money, and since he never shows up until 10 or 11 in the mornings on weekends, I just paddle early and avoid him. I know this sounds cheap and sour grapes of me -- and if the money collected actually went back into the maintenance of the parks or the boat launches, I might not mind too much. The governor of this state and his toady legislature have pretty much bled the DNR dry in the past few years, and maintenance and improvement funds are few and far between. But no, the money goes back into the general fund, and I presume directly to the pockets of the governor's buddies. >I guess I had a weak moment. I ought to have had him find the exact >law. The notices made no such distinction, though obviously I was not >using a trailer nor was I taking up any more space with my vehicle than >the rest of the visitors. I basically decided $5 wasn't much to part >with, since I had no desire to make someone angry even angrier and waste >time that could be spent in the water. Like I said, I really don't begrudge the season pass at the state park -- after all, I get my money's worth out of it. 20 bucks a year for maybe fifty trips, that's a pretty good return on investment, especially to paddle on a lake with no jetskis or water skiiers. But I'd a damn sight more rather the money actually went into the park, and I'd be willing to pay more if it did. -- Wes *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I suspect that most public launch areas are entitled to charge a "reasonable fee" for access, although this is one of the issues that we are looking at for a possible publication on water and shoreline access. FWIW, I always pay a launch fee at the public ramp in Rockport, ME, where I put in my kayak. The fee is "voluntary" -- there is a little box to put it. It's $2 for residents (I am), and $4 for non-residents. Small price to pay for a beautiful public park, with free parking and great launch. It never occurred to me to think that I would not have to pay because I carry my boat in by hand. The harbor master has walked past several times while I was launching, before I put the $ in the box, and all he said was a friendly hello. So maybe I have been assuming incorrectly . . . . At the public ramp in Mamaroneck, NY (where I am also resident), I pay an annual fee and have a sticker on my car. They always check for the sticker. The annual fee is about $35, if I remember correctly. Mark *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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