With the 2025 summer boating season on the horizon, wake boating is back in the news — this time with the VT Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy hearing on “Wake Boats.” The meeting will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, May 6, at 10:00 AM. You may attend In person (Room 8, VT Statehouse) or via zoom (click HERE) to connect via livestream 10-15 minutes before the meeting 10:00 AM start time.)
Here is the agenda and order of speakers:
10:00 AM Wake Boats
- Bethany Sargent, Deputy Director, Watershed Management Division, Department of Environment Conservation
- Laura Dlugolecki, Lake and Shoreland Permitting Analyst, Agency of Natural Resources
10:30 AM Wake Boats
- John Widness, Citizen and RWVL Member, Wilmington
- Pat Suozzi, President, Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds
- Steve Sease, Citizen, Montpelier
- Phil Dodd, Citizen, Montpelier
- Chris Owen, Chair, Native Fish Coalition
- Richard Gagne, Citizen, Danville
Here is what our RWVL group has submitted as an overview of our testimony:
BOTTOM LINE: VERMONT SHOULD PROHIBIT WAKESPORTS ON ALL ITS INLAND LAKES
Responsible Wakes for Vermont Lakes (RWVL): 4+ Year Effort Toward Effective Wakesports Management
- RWVL formed in response to the growing threat wakesports pose to Vermont’s inland lakes.
- Submitted a formal petition to ANR in March 2022 after extensive research, public input, and stakeholder engagement.
- Participated actively in pre-rulemaking and rulemaking processes.
- Found strong public support in public comments (82% of 759 comments favored wakesport regulation; >1,000 RWVL Newsletter subscribers; and >200 media articles (with <5% opposed).
April 15, 2024: Adoption of ANR/DEC Use of Public Water Rule (UPW Rule)
- Wakesports restricted to zones of at least 50 contiguous acres, 500 ft from all shores, and 20 ft deep.
- Home Lake Rule: Requires wake boat owners to declare a single lake for the season and display a decal—intended to reduce AIS spread via ballast tank water that cannot be emptied.
- ANR confirmed during the February 2024 LCAR meetings that the Home Lake Rule would be implemented in 2024.
- RWVL supported the rule based on this assurance, despite these shortcomings in the Rule:
- No safety evaluation due to DEC resource limits.
- Research and public input supported greater shoreline buffers (ideally >1,000 ft).
- Inadequately addressed impact of “non-normal use” wakesports vs. traditional “normal use” recreation.
- Lacked application of the Precautionary Principle.
Inadequate Funding of the ANR/DEC’s Wakesport UPW Rule has resulted in implementation Gaps & Current Concerns
- Home Lake Rule not implemented in 2024; no certified wash stations, causing confusion for AIS greeters and concern among lake users.
- DEC now plans to delay the Home Lake Rule again in 2025.
- Plans to reopen wakesports rulemaking with no defined timeline or scope.
- DEC has failed to respond to 10 lake-specific wakesport petitions, some pending over a year.
RWVL’s Recommendation: PROHIBIT WAKESPORTS ON ALL INLAND LAKES
- Protects lake ecosystems and supports the vast majority of traditional lake users.
- Improves public safety by removing high-risk wakesport activity from smaller lakes.
- Strengthens AIS prevention by defaulting to a “universal” Home Lake Rule.
- Supports Vermont’s tourist economy (see RWVL’s and DEC’s Economic Impact Analysis) through:
- Reduced enforcement, volunteer, and lake association fundraising burden.
- Enhanced environmental reputation for tourism.
- Maintained or improved shoreline property values.
- Generated savings by wakesport prohibition, making much needed additional funds
- available to the ANR to protect Vermont’s waters.
- Focuses the ANR in its state stewardship responsibilities of Vermont’s inland lakes.
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