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From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 08:00:15 -0700
There is a proposal before the Oregon Legislature to assess a $15/year fee on
all watercraft under 18 feet, to include canoes and kayaks. 

This is new beans in Oregon. Heretofore only engine-powered craft and sailboats
over 19 feet (I think) were required to register and pay an annual fee.

I doubt the proposal has much chance of passage. However, it pays to be
prepared in a situation like this.

Currently, the legislation has no language linking the fee to benefits to
paddlecraft:

1. no stipulation it be used to develop access for paddle craft,

and, 2. the great likelihood our measly fees will get lost in the swamp of
revenue from the marine fuel tax.  The State Marine Board uses that revenue
(which is enormous) to support boat ramp and float construction and
maintenance.

I'd appreciate receiving any language used in other states to tie similar
registration revenue to improvements in facilities for paddlecraft. Or, failing
that, language which ensures adequate representation of paddling interests on
your State Marine Board (or equivalent).

Thanks a bunch.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
sea kayaker

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From: Erik Sprenne <sprenne_at_netnitco.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 23:33:43 -0500
> There is a proposal before the Oregon Legislature to assess a
$15/year fee on
> all watercraft under 18 feet, to include canoes and kayaks.
>   <snip>
> I'd appreciate receiving any language used in other states to
tie similar
> registration revenue to improvements in facilities for
paddlecraft. Or, failing
> that, language which ensures adequate representation of
paddling interests on
> your State Marine Board (or equivalent).
>

The reason for registration is to get more federal matching
dollars, which are distributed based on the number of registered
boats in the state.

Can't help you on existing language (except for Alaska link
below), but suggest that it might be worthwhile to push for
langauge that mandates the return of funds to the paddling
community, based on an objective analysis of the need - with or
without input from local government units.  In Illinois, the DNR
is willing to build access facilities, etc. on non-state owned
land *only if* local governmental entities request funding and
match a portion of it.

FWIW, the Illinois regs are at:
 http://131.230.57.1/stat_rul/ILLREG.HTM (it's interesting to
note that sailboards are exempt from registration requirements in
IL).

The Alaska law (actually the bill that proposed the law),
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/boating/hb0108g.pdf
mandates the use of generated funds for safety education


Regards,
Erik Sprenne




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From: Mel Lammers <mslammers_at_earthlink.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 04:59:11 -0400
Dave, you may be able to influence the legislature in Oregon. Good luck.
Here in Ohio (older state, circa 1803) all watercraft require a
registration.  For canoe/kayak it is $15 for 3 years. Canoes / Kayaks don't
have to have a title, just bill of sale or equivalent (home built).  The
worst part is you have to put clunky numbers on your boat bow on both sides.
Number like OH 0784CX along with the registration sticker. Doable for
hard-shells, tricky for foldables. And you better make sure that you place
the registration sticker exactly 6" behind the number like so:
sticker |6"| OH 0784CX   Also, don't make any mistakes in placing the
sticker. If you put it on and then attempt to remove, it reads VOID across
the face.  Once you have a number, it is yours for life. Just get a new
sticker ($15) every 3 years.  Kind of like auto license.  Goes into the
state general fund.  Interchange with other states so you don't have to
register in other states.  

Got you irritated yet?  No?  Then keep in mind the joy of standing in line
for 1 hr to get your registration.  Same line as new auto license folks. No
shortcuts.  The license folks call it a bargin since you don't have to get
it every year like cars.

--Mel--
=^..^= 
Cell:  (937) 232-6472
Pager: (888) 704-4169
http://www.mellammers.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Foldableseayakers
foldableseayakers_at_yahoogroups.com
mellammers_at_mellammers.net
mslammers_at_earthlink.net


Dave Kruger said:
	Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 08:00:15 -0700
	From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
	Subject: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration

	There is a proposal before the Oregon Legislature to assess a
$15/year fee on
	all watercraft under 18 feet, to include canoes and kayaks. 

	This is new beans in Oregon. Heretofore only engine-powered craft
and sailboats
	over 19 feet (I think) were required to register and pay an annual
fee.

	I doubt the proposal has much chance of passage. However, it pays to
be
	prepared in a situation like this.

	Currently, the legislation has no language linking the fee to
benefits to
	paddlecraft:

	1. no stipulation it be used to develop access for paddle craft,

	and, 2. the great likelihood our measly fees will get lost in the
swamp of
	revenue from the marine fuel tax.  The State Marine Board uses that
revenue
	(which is enormous) to support boat ramp and float construction and
	maintenance.

	I'd appreciate receiving any language used in other states to tie
similar
	registration revenue to improvements in facilities for paddlecraft.
Or, failing
	that, language which ensures adequate representation of paddling
interests on
	your State Marine Board (or equivalent).

	Thanks a bunch.

	- -- 
	Dave Kruger
	Astoria, OR
	sea kayaker


[demime 0.92b removed an attachment of type application/ms-tnef which had a name of winmail.dat]
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From: Jochen Grikschat <grikschat_at_surfeu.de>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 12:51:25 +0200
Here in Germany the paddlers taking part in the German Canoe Federation,
donīt have to carry a registration for their canoes. Normally all ships have
to be registrated. I donīt know if they have to pay an anual fee or
something like that.
Several years ago, it was enough for kayaks an canoes to wear a DKV (german
canoe fed.) sticker on their boat and a name and the clubs name. The letters
must have 10cm min. heigh, but I think the official never take care of it
when it was smaller or without anything.
When reading all this terrific Ohio, Oregon a.s.o. stuff, you got my deepest
condolensce. 8-))

But keep smiling, there are paddlers with much more problems than those. For
example in France, there it is almost unpossible to paddle quite normal the
coast like anywhere else.

Is there a frenchman on the list who could explain the crazy things
happening in  France?

bye

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From: David Walker <dwalker_at_newwave.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 08:00:46 -0400
Mel Lammers wrote:

> Here in Ohio (older state, circa 1803) all watercraft require a
> registration.  For canoe/kayak it is $15 for 3 years. Canoes / Kayaks don't
> have to have a title, just bill of sale or equivalent (home built).  The
> worst part is you have to put clunky numbers on your boat bow on both sides.
Hi Mel,

Ah yes. Those wonderful Ohio water bureaucrats. I live in WV but my
mother and other siblings live in Belmont county Ohio. About 20  years
ago I took my windsurfer to Seneca lake with the intent of having
alittle sail. I made the mistake of asking about local regulations. They
actually told me I had to mount, port and starboard, the above mentioned
registration numbers on a surf board. Plus carry an anchor !, a
throwable rescue cushion and a distress flag among other things.
Believing this to be nonsense I asked for a ruling from a higher
authority. When he was to busy to return from the water and render a
ruling I got tired of waiting and left. Figuring if he was that busy
he'd be to busy to notice me, even with a bright orange sail, I decided
after a three hour drive i was going to go sailing. So I found an empty
spot along the shore and had a nice 3 or 4 hours of sailing. Then drove
home. But I haven't been back.

Now I'm wondering if I might run into the same hassles with a kayak.
Does the state of Ohio really try to apply this requirement on those
"just passin through"? If i could do abit of kayaking on Seneca lake it
would work out great for me. I get to go and visit relatives taking my
young son to see his grandmother and we both get to do a little kayaking
along the way. As a bonus the winds are good enogh there to perhaps make
it worth getting a sail rig for my kayak.

Of course one always runs into problems of different folks having
different regulations and it can be difficult to know who to kowtow to.
Having lived in coastal states I know there were one set of rules for
the ocean, another set for the rivers and then the Corp of Engineers
added their own if on a man made lake.

Anyone know of a place to find the rules and how they apply to resident
and non-resident users of the various bodies of water in the different
states?

David

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From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_rockandwater.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 09:31:35 -0400
On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 08:00:46AM -0400, David Walker wrote:
> Ah yes. Those wonderful Ohio water bureaucrats. 

It's just as bad in Pennsylvania.

The Fish Commission requires that we register ALL of our boats (I own 7
kayaks and decked canoes) in order to use their access points.  They then
take the funds thus derived and spend them on (a) power boating and
(b) fishing projects, thus neatly separating us from our money without
providing anything in return.

Additionally, the [ugly] stickers which we are then supposed to display
on our boats are so large that they violate the maximum size of decals
allowed by competition regulations for slalom boats.  In other words, if I
put one of these on my boat, and show up at a race where someone
is checking boats for rule compliance, my boat will be disallowed.

It just gets worse from there.

---Rsk
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From: Joe Pylka <pylka_at_castle.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 10:43:52 -0400
> It's just as bad in Pennsylvania. (From Rich Kulawiec)
>
> The Fish Commission requires that we register ALL of our boats (I own 7
> kayaks and decked canoes) in order to use their access points.
        If your boat is 16 ft or less, at least you don't have to put the
serial number of the sticker in 3 inch high letters on either side of the
bow!!
        I am a New Jersey resident, which does not mandate registration for
canoes & kayaks, and I too MUST have PA registration to use my boats in some
parts of that state.  I was once tossed out of a f&b parking area because I
happened to have a boat on the car without registration.   On the other
hand, supposedly F&B registration supersedes the other levels of
registration, so I don't have to have state park or county park
registrations that would otherwise be required.

> They then
> take the funds thus derived and spend them on (a) power boating and
> (b) fishing projects, thus neatly separating us from our money without
> providing anything in return.
    Some money does go back into safety programs for paddlers;  they did
help fund some of these activities in conjunction with ACA.  Nonetheless,
it's only a drop in the bucket compared to what they get out of us.
Supposedly moneys are made available for location and construction for
accesses for paddlers but where we have looked into that (as a division of
the ACA) we ran into some bureaucratic walls.
>
> It just gets worse from there.
        There are many tales, much too disturbing for the gentle ears
here.....
>
> ---Joe P

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From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_rockandwater.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 11:17:14 -0400
On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 10:43:52AM -0400, Joe Pylka wrote:
>         If your boat is 16 ft or less, at least you don't have to put the
> serial number of the sticker in 3 inch high letters on either side of the
> bow!!

Hiya Joe!  Yep, I hear ya...unfortunately, the slalom racing C-2 is
long enough to fall under that regulation and so (technically) we're
supposed to tag it.  Haven't, though; I just steadfastly avoid the
access points controlled by the fish commission. ;-)

---Rsk
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From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe and Kayak Registration
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 03:02:49 -0700
Erik Sprenne wrote:

> Dave Kruger wrote:
>
> > There is a proposal before the Oregon Legislature to assess a
> > $15/year [biennial] fee on
> > all watercraft under 18 feet, to include canoes and kayaks.  <snip>

> The reason for registration is to get more federal matching
> dollars, which are distributed based on the number of registered
> boats in the state.

> Can't help you on existing language (except for Alaska link
> below), but suggest that it might be worthwhile to push for
> langauge that mandates the return of funds to the paddling
> community, [snip]

Thanks to all for the ideas and comments.  What a great group!

Turns out the registration bill is locked up in committee, and the chair says
he will keep it there.  Not a threat this biennium, I guess.  Most folks I have
talked to do not object to a small annual fee, but do not want the hassle of
registration, bow numbers, etc.  States which insist on documentation of
purchase or surrender of sales tax if you don't have the documentation are an
object lesson, I think.  Big PITA!  Fortunately, Oregon has no sales tax, and
is not likely to get one.

I suspect this issue will come back the next legislative session.

I was surprised to discover that we unregistered paddlefolk may not be the main
irritation.  Apparently, on some rivers during good steelhead runs, boat ramps
get overrun with oar-driven drift boats, excluding registered power boats.  The
power boaters complained to the Marine Board, which asked for a registration
proviso for nonmotorized craft.  The language of the proposed bill was so broad
it would have swept up inflatables all the way down to surf mats and the like,
and probably included sailboards and the goofy things kite sailors use!

The other apparent driving force was an attempt to harvest some revenue to
support SAR operations, which in some counties in Oregon can be extensive for
wayward paddlecraft (mostly WW?).  I suspect that's hyperbole, though.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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