Bay
Yacht
Clubs
Association
February 2002 Chartroom Chatter
Ahoy there! It may be freezing outside, but for many it's time to check out the new catalogues for the latest boating gear. So, toss another log on the fire as you plan for Spring commissioning season and dream of installing that GPS plotter that Santa brought.
The pending bill in Maryland to raise various DNR fees has generated a lot of interest in our clubs. We heard from a number of folks on this issue. My summary of your questions and concerns was passed on to Bruce Gilmore of the Maryland DNR. Please see Charlie's column for the questions raised and the DNR response. In case you missed it, DSLMD Charlie Tulip provided a description of the proposed fee changes and the uses of the additional funds in the January 2002 Chartroom Chatter. The CBYCA Board will continue to make your concerns known to the DNR and sponsors of the bill. In light of your comments and concerns, as of this writing, the Board is carefully considering the position of the Association and how we would testify before Legislative Committees.
Due to a schedule conflict, Maryland DNR Secretary J. Charles Fox will not be able to speak to the Delegates at the February meeting. However, because of the high level of interest in the boating fees bill, Director Gilmore has agreed to speak at the meeting. Another hot button issue in Maryland is a bill to raid various trust funds including the Waterway Improvement Fund to balance the state budget. We expect to see a significant ground swell of opposition to this reckless approach to fiscal management and see raiding of such funds, in other than a true emergency, as a violation of the public trust.
If you or your club has strong feelings about these issues, or others we have reported on, please contact us. We will help ensure your message gets to the right people and work with you to ensure that your message and actions have the greatest effect. In this wonderful and amazing county of ours, the voice of the average citizen is the most important and powerful of all!
Publication of the 2002 yearbook is rapidly approaching. I hope your club has sent in your roster information. Don't be left behind. Also, don't forget one of the best ways to support the CBYCA is with an ad. With today's technology, there is no excuse not to have the yearbook graced with a picture of your boat, your club princess, congratulations on an anniversary, or just a note for your boating friends.
The season for Commodore's Balls and Changes of Watch continues in high gear. On behalf of the CBYCA Board, congratulations and best wishes to the new officers and boards around the Bay. I have had the pleasure of attending many of your affairs, including that tremendous weekend down in Ocean City put on by the Chesapeake Commodores Club (way to go Brooks!), and I am looking forward to attending many more.
I'm looking forward to a great Delegates Meeting at Bodkin Yacht Club and I hope to see you soon around the Chesapeake Bay.
The next Delegates Meeting will be held on February 16, 2002 at the Bodkin Yacht Club. Mr. Bruce Gilmore, Director of Licensing and Registration of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be our guest speaker. He will speak about the proposed bill to raise vessel registration fees. Be prepared to ask questions and voice your concerns. Please refer to the flyer included in this issue of the Chartroom Chatter for more details regarding this meeting. We hope to see you there.
The deadline for the CBYCA 2002 Roster Book is approaching. Please submit your club's Roster and Advertising Forms as soon as possible. A blank Advertising Form for your use is included in this issue of the Chartroom Chatter.
To place a CBYCA Patron or CBYCA Friends advertisement, contact Bridget Bean at 410-255-9855 or e-mail kwbean@maxinter.net.
2002 Roster Information Sheets are due by February 2, 2002. Don't let your club's information be omitted from the CBYCA 2002 Chartroom Chatter Roster Issue. Please send completed roster to:
Faye Broseker, Qualifications Officer
3 Doe Meadow Court
Owings Mills, MD 21777
E-mail: boogieslilsis@worldnet.att.net
Telephone number: 410-363-0002
Charles Tulip, Jr., DSLMD C2lip@aol.com
1. As of Thursday evening, January 24, 2002, 306 bills and 7 resolutions have been introduced in the Senate and 329 bills and 9 resolutions in the House. Neither the revisions to the Boat Act nor the increased boater's fees have been introduced, although both are expected shortly. Of the bills introduced 9 bills in the Senate and 5 in the House relate to the Bay, chiefly in the environmental area. The more significant ones relate to increasing who has standing to sue, closing perceived gaps in the Critical Areas Act and increasing penalties for environmental infractions.
Legislative redistricting is still the most important issue before the Legislature. Much of the time of both the House and Senate will be devoted to this difficult issue.
2. The review of the reopening of the Cove Point LNG Facility is continuing. The Facility has closed-out its issues with FERC and all that remains are the state permits, expected to be completed by spring and the completion of the US Coast Guard process. A workshop was held December 5 & 6, 2001 to consider the risk assessment related to the USCG permit process. The results of the workshop show that there are, apparently, no insurmountable obstacles to granting the necessary transit permits. The Facility will begin non-emitting work shortly, which will necessitate cessation of fishing on or near the pier in the next month or so.
3. The DNR Clean Marina Initiative people will be holding four "Clean Marina Certification Workshops" as follows: January 29 - Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons; January 31 - Friends Meeting House, Annapolis; February 5 - Baltimore Yacht Club, Baltimore; and February 7 - Tidewater Inn, Easton. All sessions will run from 1100 to 1430. To attend call Beth Valentine at 410-260-8770 or e-mail at bvalentine@dnr.state.md.us.
4. The Revisions to the Boat Act are still pending. The MTAM will be arranging for the introduction of the proposed revisions. They are drafting the final version and expect to have it introduced shortly. Since this bill is high on MTAM's legislative priorities, DNR will probably support it, especially in return for their support of the boating fee increase. The likely wording will clarify when the excise taxes are due. Only those boaters who have not paid any tax on their boat and spend most of their time in Maryland waters will be affected by increased tax enforcement.
5. The Volvo Around the World Race will be in the Chesapeake Bay April 17 to 28, 2002. Any yacht club and/or member who want to participate in the Annapolis festivities, April 26 to 28, 2002, should call Charlie Tulip at 410-604-0402 or e-mail: c2lip@aol.com.
6. The 8th Annual Environmental Legislative Summit was held on January 21, 2002. The Governor, Lt. Governor and Congressman Gilchrist were featured speakers. The legislative goals for the 2002 Legislative Session were outlined. Generally the goals can be summarized as: a.) Increased enforcement, with greater penalties and fines, of existing environmental laws and regulations; b.) Legislative revisions to the Critical Areas law to overturn unwelcome court decisions; c.) Energy and water conservation grants and tax incentives; d.) Legislation prohibiting the building of the Inter-County Connector in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties; and e.) Apply the Bay's Critical Areas legislation to Coastal Bays near Ocean City. The only mention of recreational boating was support for the proposed boating fee increase and the "environmental good" the additional funds would do. About 300 people attended, mostly from environmental groups.
7. The next quarterly meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Enforcement Coalition will be held on January 31, 2002 in Annapolis. In addition to the review of the complaints received on their "hotline," there will be a presentation entitled: "The View from Capital Hill."
8. The DNR will be holding hearings on their " . . . proposed regulations to reduce fishing effort on the blue crab fishery in 2002." The hearings will be February 11, 2002 in the Ramada Inn in Salisbury; February 12, at the Anne Arundel Community College; and February 14, at the Calvert Marine Museum in the Solomons. The discussions will center on the size of harvestable crabs and ban the possession of sponge crabs in Maryland.
9. The next meeting of the Boat Act Advisory Committee will be February 14, 2002 at the DNR Building, 1804 West Street in Annapolis.
10. The proposed boating fee increase legislation has not yet been introduced, but is expected shortly. The proposal has been changed to allow for either two or three-year renewal cycles, the boater's choice. If passed (and it's likely it will be), the increased fees won't go into effect until the billing cycle beginning January 1, 2003. This means that, if you buy a two-year decal in 2002, the increases will be effective with the fees due January 1, 2004.
These current fees and the increase will be placed in a "special fund" that can only be used for the purpose set-forth in the legislation. The legislature, however, can override that with special legislation authorizing the Governor to use the funds elsewhere. Per a DNR spokesman, legislation will be introduced shortly authorizing several millions to be taken from trust funds to balance the 2002 Budget. $ 8 to $10 million will come from the Waterway Improvement Fund, with other monies from such funds as the Transportation Fund, the MD Auto Insurance Fund (for uninsurable drivers), the MD Open Space Fund, etc. Because this is pending legislation, the CBYCA will have an opportunity to testify.
Commodore Hellner has developed, from conversations with member clubs, several questions/issues for which answers were needed. They are, along with the comments from Bruce Gilmore, Director, Licencing and Registration Division:
a. Question: There is ZERO TRUST that the money will go for the purposes identified and a strong feeling that boaters are being singled out as a group to enhance the state's bottom line. This is no more fair than applying a luxury car or motor home tax to pay for boating education. As we were told by Mr. Gilmore in December, boaters are looking for language in the bill specifically directing where the money will be spent (or at least applied to certain DNR budget lines).
Answer: The funds collected from the boating fees are applied to the "MD Boat Act Account." (There is a "Special Funds" line in the DNR Appropriations which contains these funds.) The legislation increasing the fees will contain several "whereas" clauses that will specify for what the funds are to be spent. The items on which the funds can be spent are: 1.) The operation of the Licencing and Registration Division; 2.) The items outlined in January's Chartroom Chatter; and 3.) Other boating related activities. As noted above, any "special funds" can be diverted by the legislature by passing the appropriate legislation.
b.) Question: There is low confidence in the idea of giving some the money to local Boards of Education (i.e. marketing needed to demonstrate adequate controls are in place to ensure a clear and demonstrable outcome that benefits boating and waterways).
Answer: The DNR 'druthers" is not to have such monies given directly to
school districts on a formula basis, but to individual schools in the form of
grants for specific projects. The final legislation will determine how this is
actually done. In addition, Mr. Gilmore will be the featured speaker at the
February Delegates' Meeting
c. Question: What do the current fees pay for? How come we have been able to
hold the line all these years?
Answer: The current collections pay for the operation of the Licencing and
Registration Division's operations and other "boating related"
activities. The additional funds will augment that and add the activities
indicated in the January Chartroom Chatter.
d. Question: The fees changes are way too big percentage wise. For example, the
documented boat fee doubles. The idea of doubling the fees seems outrageous to
folks that were getting free registration and they are especially upset at the
$25.
Answer: Certainly anyone who has not been charged for an item will see the
increases as being very large. The overall increase is not as large as it seems,
especially if one considers the length of time since the last increase and the
comparative amounts charged by neighboring states.
e. Question: The boaters do not fully understand and believe in what the money
will get them.
Answer: The boaters in Maryland waters will get both improved DNR service and a better Bay on which to boat. In addition, we can ask that an annual report of how the monies collected are spent and how that expenditures relate to the improvement of the Bay.
f. The fee dollars toward internet registration is unfair to folks who don't
use the internet and never will (many older boaters had this comment). Some
questioned as to whether internet registration might be cheaper for the state
(less staff, less paperwork - the same reason banks prefer that we use auto
tellers and airlines prefer we use e-tickets).
Answer: The development and use of internet registration will make it easier for
boaters with internet access to do business with DNR. (Currently, auto
registrations and hunting and fishing licences are available on the internet.)
Mr. Gilmore estimates that about 25% of boaters will use this service. There
will be some streamlining of the Boating Licencing and Registration Division's
operations, but all stickers not acquired at their walk-in service centers will
still have to be mailed out to the recipients. In addition, all title work will
still be face-to-face to avoid fraud.
g. Question: Because the fees are for two years, the proposed fee is quite large for some to pay all at once. It is a perception thing, but for MD registrations, folks paid $12 for years then $24 and now the state wants $40.
Answer: Even though the fees are proposed to increase, the convenience of the
option for a three year registration should offset any inconvenience. Also, when
DNR went to the two-year cycle, they did not receive significant complaints.
h. Question: Why is this the best method of funding? What about the other fees
and taxes that boaters pay? Where does this money go?
Answer: Aside from the excise tax on boat sales, the only other tax boaters
pay is the fuel tax, of which 1/3 of 1% of all fuel taxes collected (including
those paid by autos, etc.) Go to the Waterway Improvement Fund. The increase in
fees is only one of the ways the State will be adding funds to Bay restoration
projects. There are substantial funds paid by others in special fees and some
funds come from the General Fund.
i. Question: For the Bay Improvement part (planting SAV, etc), are all Bay users
paying their fair share?
Answer: Yes, all taxpayers in MD contribute to the Bay improvement either through the use of General Fund monies or through environmental fees. In addition, MD receives substantial funds through Federal Government grants, pass-throughs and in matching funds.
At the Board meeting on January 26, 2002, The Board voted unanimously to make a special effort to make known to the Legislature the CBYCA's strong disapproval of the "raiding" of the Waterway Improvement Fund to solve short-term budgetary problems. In addition, we will request that the funds raised by the boating fees be placed in an account that can be used only for boating related activities, mainly those outlined by DNR to be the recipient of the increased fees. It is imperative that each member club in Maryland express these sentiments to their Senator and Delegates. If there is enough of a ground swell to the Legislature, we can preserve the integrity of these trust funds and accounts.
Pennsylvania/Delaware Legislative Report
A capital budget (also known as a Capital Budget Project Itemization Act) is the means by which the General Assembly authorizes state agencies to undertake major acquisition, construction and development projects. All projects with an estimated cost in excess of $300,000 (each) must be approved by General Assembly and the Governor as part of a capital budget. The Governor lists projects for consideration in the capital budget when he submits his state budget message in February. These projects, with changes sought by the Administration or members of the General Assembly, are then incorporated into a bill.
Senate Bill 1213 was introduced in the State Senate on November 16, 2001. This bill was amended by the Senate Appropriations Committee, and then passed by the State Senate (50-0) on December 5, 2001. This bill is the version of the capital budget that includes the PFBC's current list of priority hatchery projects with the latest cost estimates. This bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.
House Bill 2029, introduced in the House in October, replicates the Governor's capital budget message with respect to the PFBC projects. It has $37million in projects to be funded from current revenues. The list of Fish and Boat Commission projects which HB 2029 includes does not contain the latest cost estimates for the Commission's priority hatchery projects.
SB 1213 authorizes the PFBC's capital projects to be funded from current revenues or by incurring debt. Section 10 of the bill itemizes eight PFBC projects. Six of these are the hatchery projects that the PFBC included in our capital budget submission; two are access areas for persons with disabilities in Lackawanna County.
Here are the projects listed and the costs:
All the projects must be released for design within four years of enactment of the bill or they are repealed.
PFBC Position: Senate Bill 1213 contains the PFBC's priority hatchery projects. Although it contains two access projects that have not been prioritized by the Commission, its prompt enactment would be a positive action to move forward with our most important efforts to upgrade the state hatcheries managed by the PFBC.
Other news out of Pennsylvania:
The Governor of Pennsylvania has nominated Richard Czop of Collegeville, Montgomery County, to represent District 8 of the Pennsylvania Fish And Boat Commission. If confirmed by two-thirds of the state Senate, Mr Czop will serve an eight-year term. Mr. Czop would replace Donald Lacy of Reading PA, whose term has expired. Mr. Czop has been a fish and boating enthusiast for most of his life, and has served on the Boating Advisory Board of Aa Fish and BoatCommission.
National Safe Boating Campaign
P/C Harry Seeback, Liaison, National Safe Boating Council
The National Safe Boating Campaign will be in May 2002 and will be conducted across the country. A kit to help you plan for this should be forthcoming before the 16 February, 2002 Delegates Meeting. Although I have requested early delivery, who knows with a bulk mailing. I would ask that each club ONLY TAKE ONE KIT so there will be enough for all. If the kits do not arrive in time for distribution at the Delegates Meeting, they will be available at the April Delegates Meeting. Boat safely.
The CBYCA Chartroom Chatter includes up-to-date information about your club's activities such as a Ball, Opening Day or Social Events. We are now publishing information for a considerable number of clubs. You can assist our efforts to provide you with a quality product if you will please take a moment to turn to the enclosed yellow flyer and carefully review the information about your club. If you find something that needs to be added, clarified or corrected, CBYCA would like to hear from you.
Art Murray CBYCA Safety Committee Chairman
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
The November 2001 issue of the BOAT/U.S. Magazine presented some encouraging information on the decline of boating related deaths covering the period from 1973 through the year 2000. In 1973 there were 1,750 fatalities from boating accidents reported. For the year 2000 the number of such deaths was a record low of 701. These figures compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard cover all fifty states and the U.S. territories. The remarkable thing to note is that during the period from 1973 to 2001 the number of recreational boats has increased steadily each year. Although the number of recreational boats has increased, the number of fatalities from boating accidents has decreased substantially. If the trend continues, when the figures are compiled, there should be even fewer boating fatalities for the year 2001.
Most of the fatalities reported were the result of people falling overboard, boats capsizing, flooding, or colliding with another boat or fixed object. Of the 701 people who died in boating accidents in the year 2000, 561 were not wearing a life jacket. Of the number of boats involved in fatal accidents, 211 were reported as not having even one life jacket on board. The largest number of accidents involved open motorboats and personal water craft or jet skis. This is to be expected since these types of water craft are by far the most numerous. The states of Texas, California, Florida and Louisiana with their longer boating seasons had the largest number of boating fatalities reported in the year 2000. Texas with 55 fatalities reported had the highest number followed next by California with 49 fatalities reported.
The steady decline in boating fatalities may be attributed to new boating laws and regulations, education, law enforcement, and improved design and construction of small craft. Many states have enacted laws requiring motorboat operators to pass a test certifying that they have sufficient boating courses given by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadron, and other organizations which are devoted to safe boating. The strict enforcement of laws regarding the operation of a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs has also helped to reduce the number of accidents on the water. The trend toward improved safety on the water is obvious. The number of boating fatalities is being reduced every year and hopefully the goal of zero fatalities will eventually be reached.
Submitted By Jerry Donofrio
Chairman Boater Voter Coalition
WATERSHED ACTION
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary in Wilmington, DE is a private, non-profit organization established in 1996 under the Delaware Estuary Plan (DELEP). The Partnership promotes the estuary as a regional resource through public outreach and education. The Boater Voter Coalition has received a Grant from the Partnership to produce a Tidal Access Brochure identifying ramp access locations plus pumpout locations on an area map of the Tidal Basin. Also, listed is the agency name and telephone number administering the facility. 8,000 pamphlets will be distributed to a various boat or sporting retail outlets as well as fishing clubs and paddle clubs. The pamphlet will be available at area ramps. This is the first grant proposal approved by the Partnership directly to boaters. The handout should be available by mid-summer 2002. The BVC is a charter contributor to the DELEP program.
All kinds of mini-grants are available for non-profit clubs and organizations. Many of these grants are directed through your local watershed agency. Clean water 316 grants can be applied to improve launch ramp areas or even remove old decaying docks. Anywhere erosion occurs is prime for grant money to repair the condition. Education is always listed as recipients of grant funds. Look around to see how your organization can help promote better boating and environmental improvements through education. Then look for an agency that will support your new-found project.
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Mark Your Calendars!
| Date | Time | Meeting | Location |
| 16 March | 1000 | Board Meeting | Nanticoke River YC |
| 20 April | 1000
1300 |
Board Meeting
Delegates Meeting |
Maryland YC |
| 1 June | 1000 | Board Meeting | Maryland YC |
| 10 August | 1000
1300 |
Board Meeting
Delegates Meeting |
Chesapeake YC |
| 21 September | 1000 | Board Meeting | TBD |
| 19 October | 1000 | Board Meeting | TBD |
| 16 November | 1000
1300 |
Board Meeting
Delegates Meeting |
Bush River YC |
| 21 December | 1000 | Board Meeting | Belvedere YC |
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