{"id":1192,"date":"2023-12-28T22:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T03:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2023-12-28T22:00:58","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T03:00:58","slug":"vermont-organizations-supporting-a-strong-rule-for-wake-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/?p=1192","title":{"rendered":"Vermont Organizations Supporting a Strong Rule for Wake Sports\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since submission of Responsible Wakes\u2019\u00a0Agency of Natural Resources\u00a0(ANR) petition over 2 years ago, public support for\u00a0regulation\u00a0of wake boat activities has burgeoned and continues to grow.\u00a0In addition to the\u00a0support from\u00a0over 1,200 individuals endorsing\u00a0our March 2021 petition to the ANR<\/a>, more than 35 state, national, private, and public organizations have endorsed our initiative calling for a \u201cstrong rule\u201d\u00a0for operating wake boats, i.e., a\u00a01,000-foot minimum distance from shore \u2014 as opposed to the\u00a0ANR\/DEC\u2019s weak proposal of a 500-foot distance<\/a>. The strong support of these organizations\u00a0substantiates\u00a0the validity of Responsible Wakes\u2019 efforts. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wake sports conducted too close to shore may result in shoreline\/lake bottom damage and personal injury\u00a0to others enjoying the water nearby.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We provide below a set of graphics displaying the logos of supporting organizations in Vermont grouped by type: 1) conservation, non-profit and public service groups; 2) boating, camping and angling groups; and 3) municipal bodies and commissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Vermont Conservation Non-Profit and Public Service Groups<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ten Vermont-based conservation and public service groups in the figure below have worked diligently to strengthen Vermont\u2019s\u00a0national reputation, established half a century ago, of supporting environmental and conservation\u00a0efforts.\u00a0Notable among this group are the\u00a0Vermont Natural Resources Council<\/a>,\u00a0Audubon Vermont<\/a>, the\u00a0Vermont Center for Ecostudies<\/a>, the\u00a0Connecticut River Conservancy<\/a>, the\u00a0Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club<\/a>, the\u00a0Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds<\/a>, and\u00a0Vermont Public Interest Research Group<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vermont\u2019s\u00a0well-deserved, non-partisan\u00a0environmental\u00a0reputation was earned largely due to the grass roots efforts of concerned, hardworking citizens. Their work contributed to the\u00a0passage of several major pieces of legislation: the\u00a0Billboard Ban in 1968<\/a>\u00a0to prevent\u00a0visual blight\u00a0on the landscape that continues to\u00a0\u00a0impress those\u00a0visiting Vermont,\u00a0Act 250 in 1970<\/a>\u00a0to manage\u00a0environmentally sensitive development,\u00a0the\u00a0Bottle Bill in 1972<\/a>\u00a0to address\u00a0concerns about unsightly roadsides, and\u00a0the\u00a0Jet Ski Ban in 1997<\/a>\u00a0to curb gas and noise pollution on lakes and\u00a0to minimize disruptions to wildlife.\u00a0We view Responsible Wakes\u2019 petition to manage wake boats in Vermont as representing the next step in Vermont\u2019s legacy as an environmentally friendly state that\u00a0attracts\u00a0visitors who share these values.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Vermont Boating, Camping and Angling Groups<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes as no surprise that those who enjoy spending time on the water in traditional recreational activities support a strong rule for wake boats. The individuals who comprise these groups understand what is required to protect water quality, water biodiversity, and ecology, as well as what can and does adversely impact lake\u00a0environments, such as wake sports. These users are keenly aware of potential conflicts and safety issues when wake boats\u00a0are added to the traditional mix.\u00a0\u00a0Not infrequently, users curtail their activities, suspending their own enjoyment on the water, because of wake boat conflicts. In the case of children and family camps, e.g., Aloha Foundation, Siskin-Coutts, and others, disturbances from\u00a0wake boats\u00a0may upset program schedules by preventing campers from participating in programs or events for which they have registered. When campers don\u2019t get what they\u2019ve paid for, they are less likely to\u00a0return in subsequent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Vermont\u00a0Municipal\u00a0Bodies\u00a0and Commissions<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dozen municipal\u00a0bodies\u00a0and commissions included in the figure below support a strong rule for wake sports. The vigorous efforts of residents living on or near local lakes and ponds played no small part in this development. As local knowledge and understanding of the wake boat issue has spread throughout the state, the number of supporting groups has increased. Of note, during the two-year petition process, we\u00a0are not aware of any\u00a0municipal\u00a0bodies\u00a0or commissions\u00a0supporting\u00a0the ANR\/DEC\u2019s weak rule proposing a 500-foot\u00a0minimum\u00a0distance from shore.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, Responsible Wakes\u2019 grass-roots efforts and its success in enlisting the support of the many well-respectedorganizations included above are compelling evidence of the need for a strong rule to appropriately manage wake boat use in Vermont. Vermont\u2019s half-century legacy as an environmentally friendly state.  Members of these organizations have first-hand knowledge of the potential adverse effects of wake boats. They understand from the experience of other states<\/a> that when wake sports are not sufficiently managed, the risk of environmental damage, personal injury, and financial loss is greatly amplified, and the ability to enjoy traditional recreational lake activities is threatened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANR received 759 written comments on its draft rule proposing a 500-foot minimum distance from shore.\u00a0 More than 82% of those submissions supported Responsible Wakes\u2019 proposed 1,000-foot minimum distance from shore and half of those (41%) wanted wake boats totally banned from Vermont\u2019s lakes and ponds. If the ANR\u2019s final rule is less than 1,000-foot minimum distance from shore, it will be challenged for evidence to support that decision. Vermont has the opportunity to show real leadership with this decision. Its reputation as a preeminent environmental steward is at stake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since submission of Responsible Wakes\u2019\u00a0Agency of Natural Resources\u00a0(ANR) petition over 2 years ago, public support for\u00a0regulation\u00a0of wake boat activities has burgeoned and continues to grow.\u00a0In addition to the\u00a0support from\u00a0over 1,200 individuals endorsing\u00a0our March 2021 petition to the ANR, more than 35 state, national, private, and public organizations have endorsed our initiative calling for a \u201cstrong […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1192"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1211,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192\/revisions\/1211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/responsiblewakes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}