What about the issues? Are there enough “serious” issues at the state and local level to be concerned? There most certainly are.

Champion public access, Stop polluters, Influence land use decisions, and Restore lost habitat - benefiting the boating societal communities of our many watersheds.

• Open Bay Dumping

• Operator Licensing

• Boat Taxes

• PFD’s For Children

• Dredging

• Consumer Affairs

• Waterfront Eminent Domain

• Convert NOAA Broadcast to Private Domain Accuweather

• LNG Position Paper  -  Adopted by the Membership at the Delegates meeting 2-18-06,  requires a cover letter to the State of distribution.

• Point Source Pollution - Chemical

These are a few of the recent issues where the CBYCA saw to it that the view of the boater was heard. These and many other issues are constantly coming up and CBYCA is there at the hearings and having the recreational boater’s side of the story presented.  Without the present of the CBYCA, the word does not get to those who count and the pleasure boater carries the brunt once again.

Boating Education:

CBYCA is for quality boating education, such as provided by the USPS and the USCGA, and the active promotion of same. Also, the consumer should have choices and be motivated to learn by education that best meets their particular needs and interests. Lately, our membership has shown increased interest in mandatory education because of numerous incidents involving PWC operators. Historically opposed to mandatory boating education because there is no evidence that education run by the public sector and imposed by arbitrary legislation can result in any significant improvement in boating safety.

Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's):

• For use of PFD's that are U.S. Coast Guard approved.

• For promotion of voluntary quality boating safety education which the CBYCA believes would be a better solution to PFD use problems.

• For testing and approval of new options such as the recently approved inflatable PFD's and looking for development and approval of a safe reliable auto inflation feature.

• Strongly supports National Safe Boating Week.

• Opposed to mandatory wearing of PFD's by adults but for fair and reasonable regulations requiring use by children 12 and under aboard a vessel underway and when the children are on deck or otherwise outside a safe enclosed cabin or cockpit area.

• Generally, the CBYCA has opposed attempts at legislation/regulation because the proposed language, understandably, falls short of fair and reasonable because of the wide variation of behaviors it seeks to control (e.g. what about vessels at anchor?, what is a safe cabin area?, what persons/boats are exempt?).

• The CBYCA was strongly opposed to the recent Coast Guard trial balloon suggesting mandatory PFD wearing by all boaters all the time.

  The Coast Guard primary argument was there might not be enough time to don them in an emergency. The CBYCA feels that any experienced safe boater knows that most boaters and captains have enough sense about when to break out and when to don PFD's. Also, the accident statistics do not show problems with operators of larger boats. Obviously, making the responsible 99 percent of boaters suffer for the few that are not responsible is not the right approach.

Taxes and fees:

• For paying our fair and reasonable share to support recreational boating and fishing.

  We want to take care of what we use and want to ensure a legacy of clean and beautiful waterways for future generations.

• Strongly for ensuring that money collected from boaters goes back to support facilities, infrastructure, and waterways that boaters use and not to general funds or budget deficits (e.g. The annual fight to ensure Wallops-Breaux money goes back to the states for boating safety and education).

  The CBYCA considers it very important that widespread understanding exists that most recreational boaters are not under taxed "fat cats" but typical middle class citizens of modest means whose hobby involves hard work and investment in a type of property that is all too easy to tax and over regulate.

• Strongly opposed to taxes and fees which single out boaters where the funds collected benefit others that do not contribute (e.g. boat taxes to support roads or education). For instance, in several of our member states, the gas taxes collected on marine fuel are not returned to fishing, boating, or the waterways.

Environment:

• For doing our fair and reasonable share to preserve the waterways and environments used by boaters.

 The CBYCA strongly feels that, in our region, current local and national regulations, if supported by the necessary public or commercially available equipment and facilities, are fair and reasonable and that boaters do perform their fair share and more.

•  We are for clean waters, clean marinas, obeying discharge laws and having more pump out stations that are in service and easy to use.

We strongly support current regulations and believe increased enforcement, where the facts support that boaters are a problem, is the answer . The real problem is to get other polluters (e.g. agriculture, municipal sewage, leaking septic tanks) to come to the table. In our region, the facts show recreational boaters to be a very small contributor to waterway pollution.

• We are for boaters having options such as installing Type I and II MSD's which treat raw sewage to allow legal discharge.

  In fact, a lot of boaters have gone to considerable expense to install these systems and now seek to preserve their investment. A number of our member boaters have reported installing these systems in direct response to recent changes in MD Laws prohibiting discharge of raw sewage.

• We are for industry to continue to supply and improve Type I and II MSD's and to develop innovative approaches such as floating as pump out services which come to the boat.

• Strongly for citizen activism and for boaters to get involved with commercial trades, fishermen, marinas, government agencies, and others with common interest in cleaner waterways.

• We are strongly opposed to the EPA "No Discharge Zone" designation because it is a meaningless gesture and unnecessary burden to boaters while the major polluters go untouched!

  (All the "No Discharge Zone" designation does is to prohibit boaters < it does not affect any other polluters> from discharging treated waste <oil, plastic, raw sewage, etc., discharges are already illegal>).

• As an alternative to the imposition of broadly applied over regulation, we are for locally developed and tailored initiatives such as the MD Clean Marina Program which closely team citizens, businesses, and government agencies to increase awareness, enthusiasm, and commitment to protecting and improving the environment. Such initiatives, properly lead and managed, invariably result in direct, significant, and measurable improvements while being responsive to the needs and concerns of the region or locality.

The Environmental Impact of Dredging:

The CBYCA supports actions to minimize the environmental impact of dredging, provided these actions are supported by objective scientific evidence and result in significant measurable effects. Recognizing such actions rarely are without cost, the CBYCA supports fair and reasonable solutions arrived at by consensus of the affected parties. The CBYCA will consider opposition to dredging projects when the preponderance of clear scientific evidence shows that severe negative consequences to the environment will result &endash; in such cases the CBYCA will support viable alternatives.

Dredge Spoil Deposit:

Where feasible, the CBYCA supports and prefers dredge spoil uses, such as recreational island reclamation, which enhance the quality and benefit of waterways. The CBYCA supports actions to minimize the environmental impact of dredge spoil deposit, provided these actions are supported by objective scientific evidence and result in significant measurable effects. The CBYCA will consider opposition to dredge spoil deposit plans when the preponderance of clear scientific evidence shows that severe negative consequences to the environment will result &endash; in such cases the CBYCA will support viable alternatives.

VHF Radio:

For disciplined use of this critical boating safety device. Although the CBYCA member clubs were not happy with licensing fees and bureaucracy, they continue to be concerned about VHF radio becoming like CB radio. It is felt that the call sign and license created an increased sense of responsibility in the users and more control which could be used to aid enforcement of radio discipline. Boaters want the VHF radio lifeline to be there in an emergency. In our region, on a busy summer weekend, this does not seem to be the case with Channel 16 being held hostage by kids and others who are ignorant or don't care. Would consider modest fees to support licensing, education, and enforcement . Would consider innovations in methods (personal VHF license available at same places as for fishing licenses) and technology (unique ID embedded in radio signal) to create more VHF discipline. Support continued improvement/enhancement of VHF radio (e.g., DSC). Strongly support and actively promote the use of VHF 9 as a non emergency hailing channel in order to free VHF 16 to be a dedicated emergency channel. Advocate dual monitoring of VHF 16 and VHF 9. Support radio equipment upgrades by boat owners and equipment manufacturers including multiple channel monitoring, more ship to ship channels, and channel use identification (e.g. ship to ship) included in VHF radio displays.

Consensus Building:

For funding for dredging of non-commercial waterways and creative ways to obtain such finding. The CBYCA believes boaters would be willing to kick in if it helps keep open some favorite channels and fishing areas. In many areas, commercial and private interests seem willing to tackle dredging except for frustration with government red tape. Opposed to restrictions on speed, wake, bridge openings, boating activities, etc. which are not based on consideration of the needs and interests of all affected parties (i.e. for consensus solutions). For example, the CBYCA and several member clubs were recently involved in a vigorous dialogue on speed limits for the often congested Middle River. Several parties wanted speed limits set at 6 kts for safety. A major objection came from businesses upriver concerned about a potential severe drop in customer boat traffic as well as upriver yacht clubs and boaters concerned about tripled and worse transit times to and from the Chesapeake Bay. When it was realized that the primary safety hazard was from boats and PWC's capable of extreme speeds, consensus agreement was reached on 35 kt day and 25 kt night limits. Another regional success story for boaters, with the support of Sen. Mikulski, involves continued limited openings of the very low Bush River railroad bridge, heavily used and critical to rail traffic. Trouble areas include the Delaware River and its tributaries where waterfront property owners and boaters are often in opposition and Delaware Bay which lacks much in way of support and safety for the recreational boater.

Maintenance and Improvement of Recreational Waterways

a. Navigation:

For keeping multiple independent navigational aids available. This is fundamental to safe navigation. In this regard, the CBYCA supports keeping the LORAN C system in operation as a complement to GPS. Many consider LORAN C and GPS to each have each have strengths and weaknesses which are compensated by the other system and note that each system can be used to verify proper on board operation of the other. For funding non-commercial charting and surveying including by innovative non-traditional means. As with dredging, we are aware that tax dollars must go to where the US gets the biggest economic bang for the buck., but would note that recreational boating has large economic impacts of its own.

b. Dredging:

We strongly support dredging of recreational waterways including efforts to obtain funding for such efforts. It is critical to increase congressional awareness beyond commercial shipping lanes to the realization that recreational waterways also have significant economic impacts (including effects on interstate commerce that fall under the current Army Corps of Engineers Charter). The CBYCA considers it fair and proper that a portion of the fuel taxes and other moneys collected from recreational boaters be used for recreational waterway dredging.

Because the present system is slow and gets relatively little done for recreational boaters unless commercial shipping is also involved, we believe there is a need and opportunity for creative approaches to maintain public waterways and facilities such private sector teaming with public sector bodies such as the Army Corps of Engineers. Private sector demand and funding are there if public sector officials and legislators will clear the red tape.

Yacht Clubs:

Foster recognition among legislators that most yacht clubs are not commercial marinas, although some yacht clubs may be resident at a commercial marina. Most yacht clubs are private non-profit corporations formed and operated by private individuals for the mutual benefit of the members of the club. Many yacht clubs in our region have no paid staff. The CBYCA by-laws prohibit membership in the Association by commercial for-profit operations. Our concern is that laws, regulations, taxes, and fees appropriate for a commercial marina or other enterprise often make no sense when applied to a yacht club. Physically, many full facility yacht clubs look like marinas. The CBYCA will oppose certain legislation until the language of the bill clarifies applicability and sets different requirements as appropriate for private non-profit yacht clubs.

The status of the campaign to save Old Dominion Yacht Club from the City of Alexandria is a current topic.  Jacque Knight Legislative Director of Virginia

Consumer Affairs:

For protection of the rights and interests of recreational boaters in the course of commercial interactions. The CBYCA will Support reasonable legislation to protect boating consumers from unfair trade and business practices. Seek active dialogue with marine trade associations and commercial interests to resolve consumer issues without resorting to excessive regulation.

The CBYCA supports actions to:

·         Minimize the environmental impact of dredging recognizing such actions rarely are without cost

·         Opposed to restrictions on speed, wake, bridge openings, boating activities, etc. which are not based on consideration of the needs and interests of all affected parties

·         Protect the rights and interests of recreational boaters in the course of commercial interactions

In that the development of an LNG facility on an active waterway will require extensive dredging impacting the environment and will have adverse effects on land side access and in that the operation of such facilities will adversely affect the societal rights, interest and operation of recreational vessels in normally traveled waters and further that the interest of all affected parties are impacted negatively: The CBYCA therefore is opposed to the installation of any LNG facility in a metropolitan area or within the normal maritime channel of the indigenous maritime community.  We strongly suggest that these operations be moved to offshore locations as in California or to remote non-strategic locations.