Recently the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on a survey conducted by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, an advisory body to the state’s Natural Resources Board. Survey participation has increased markedly since it moved to online responses. Participation has more than doubled in the five years since these surveys began. Not surprisingly, the survey included several questions […]

or, Why a Wake Boat Offset of 500 Feet Won’t Work on Small Lakes The narrated animation below illustrates a typical summer day on a small Vermont lake. It demonstrates the normal and traditional uses of the lakes people enjoy as a natural shared resource. It introduces a single wake boat to show how its […]

Much of Vermont belongs to the people. We share in common the Green Mountain National Forest (400,000 acres), our State Parks (43,000 acres), and our State Forests (345,000 acres). The people own the public schools, the public highways, and the State Colleges and Universities. Vermonters in common also own the lakes and ponds, 800 of […]

Our state’s economy depends on outdoor recreation. Vermonters and tourists alike enjoy many activities on the slopes, in the woods, and on our common waters. No other state but Hawaii relies so much on these kinds of activities. An important part of Vermont’s economic growth derives from our lakes and ponds. Lake-based recreation and tourism […]

For this edition of the newsletter, we interview Chris Owen, Kate Kelly and Eric Hanson, all experts in Vermont wildlife, about how wake boats affect their environment, and what might be done about it. Chris Owen Chris, tell us about your experience. For 32 years I have served as a Volunteer Lay Monitor for the […]

For this newsletter, we interview David Kaminsky, Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UVM, and resident on Lake Iroquois. Lake Iroquois (formerly known as Hinesburg Pond) is geologically a kettle pond located in a valley between Dow and Magee Hills on the east, and Mount Prichard on the west. It lies in […]

March 14, 2023: Wake boats will be the topic of today’s noontime live radio news program, Vermont Edition. Speakers will include: Here’s how to listen at noon: To email your questions or comments: vermontedition@vermontpublic.orgTo telephone your questions or comments:  1-800-639-2211

Bob Martin has served as a lister in Woodbury for over 20 years and as the Town’s zoning administrator for many years. Responsible Wakes interviewed Bob to learn about the effects that wake boats would have on his town. Bob, I understand that Woodbury holds the record among Vermont towns for having the most lakes […]

Great Averill Pond is located up by the Canadian border, in Essex county. At 828 acres, it is the ninth largest inland lake in Vermont. Among other things, the lake supports populations of brook trout, lake trout, and rainbow trout, along with about 100 seasonal camps occupied at times by homo sapiens. Responsible Wakes interviewed […]

This newsletter looks at the road ahead as we enter the formal rulemaking process. Responsible Wakes is pleased with the significant progress following the filing of our petition in March of last year seeking to regulate wake sports Vermont lakes and ponds. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has drafted a rule that would allow […]