Saturday, July 23, 2011

For Everyone Who Enjoys Recreation On The Water, A Boating License Is Critical

By Adriana Noton


We all have an opinion about government regulating our live and impacting the freedoms we enjoy. Many of us are of two minds, when it generates revenue for the betterment of all we are in favor, when we are the ones to pay, not so much. Responsible citizens realize that in order to help keep our waterways clean and safe, a boating license is actually a bargain.

There are areas and reasons why individuals might prefer to do their boating in uncharted and uncontrolled areas of rivers and lakes, but for most of us, control is better. When we take our family down to the lake, we want it to be a reasonable safe experience where we can have fun and not worry about situations more dangerous than that normally associated with water activities. We also want there to be the reasoned control of authority to prevent the mischievous few from disturbing the behaving many.

Even when we are enjoying the recreational joys of riding the smooth waterways in our local area, there are services that go unheralded but are an important part of our experience. Some things seem so obvious that they should be automatic, like monitoring the lakes and streams for safety. But whether its checking for water quality or monitoring for dangerous creatures, someone has to do it, and they need to be paid.

We take for granted there will be someone to help us learn safe boating. We believe there will be someone to ensure that individuals do not take unsafe vessels out into our pathway. We hope that someone will be watching to ensure no one gets too close to the animals and hurts or harasses them.

Even the roads we drive to bring our vessel to the water has to be constructed and maintained. The moorings, docks and boat ramps need to be inspected for serviceability and lighted at night, all services the government provides. On a more earthy level, we expect our parks to have restroom facilities that are open, reasonably maintained and appropriately furnished.

The supervisors who work tirelessly for the public good use the money collected to help with everything from providing life preservers to pushing for safety legislation and providing warnings of hazardous conditions. There is much that goes into ensuring our waterways are safe enough for recreational activity. At the same time a lot of energy is expended making sure those of us using it do not destroy the environment we so love.

The edges of each body of water not only affect the value of our leisurely pursuit, their erosion can have detrimental effects on property, roads and other forms of infrastructure. Projects to keep erosion at bay require complicated analysis and continuous monitoring. These projects require a deep understanding of the environmental impact of construction on the quality of the water and the impact to wildlife.

For those who not only want to ski, para sail or just cruise, the animals we capture for sport and to eat also require the attention of authorities. Over fishing can deplete a species over time, and we all want our children and grandchildren to have as much fun landing the big as we do. A boating license is much more than just a tax on those who own boats, it is an investment in the outdoors that impacts us all.




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