A boat sticker program designed to increase safety and enforcement on Candlewood Lake is dead in the water for this legislative year, following a refusal by the General Assembly's Environment Committee to push the bill forward in the face of opposition to enabling legislation by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
"We had discussions with the [Candlewood Lake] Authority about it," said Dennis Schain, speaking for the DEP. "We are willing to continue discussing the idea and see if there is an approach that is workable. We do have longstanding concerns about whether we want boaters to have a specific sticker for a specific body of water," he said.
"'Well, what about the next lake?'" he imagined groups who oversee other Connecticut lakes asking. "Where does that lead us to?" he said, noting that, at present, the state requires boat registration and also safety programs for those who own them. The boat sticker program the Candlewood Lake Authority had developed would have generated revenues to increase marine patrol man-hours on the lake by 50 percent, with the fees also allocated for equipment repair and the costs of fuel, according to CLA executive director Larry Marsicano.
Preliminary fees for boating on the heavily used lake, which has become a destination point for boaters from out of state, would have consisted of a $50 annual fee for Connecticut residents and $100 for out-of-state boaters. A temporary fee of $20 or $30 would also have become part of the scheme. Motorized vessels less than 19.5 feet in length, canoes and kayaks were exempt from the program. The legislation that died last week in the Environment Committee would have empowered the DEP to write a regulation establishing the boat sticker program, which Mr. Marsicano had hoped could go into effect not this season but the next.
"There's good data out there [that] we have more accidents," he had said of public safety on the lake. "We have more boats involved in incidents out there than any other lake in the state. We're a destination spot for people in the tri-state area. We're a destination for prize-fishing programs. A large number of people visit the lake. A lot of homeowners have their own boat. We're a high level usage lake." He noted that studies have measured the carrying capacity of a boat, with a number of them equating 10 acres to each operating boat. Candlewood Lake, he said, has 5,000 acres where boats can operate, which means it can accommodate 500 boats. ome of the work completed on the lake's recreational issues has confirmed that 500 boats are out on the lake on weekends and holidays, he said.
"I would suggest we get [the 500 boats] more often than not," the executive director had affirmed.
Mr. Schain said the DEP understands that Candlewood Lake is the largest in the state and that it attracts large numbers of boaters. "There are special circumstances," he said. He noted that, in the past few years, the DEP had made what he termed a major commitment to increasing DEP patrols on the lake. "That's something we will continue to discuss with them-to see what the needed level of patrols are, and how we can meet their needs. It's an ongoing dialogue with an eye toward putting additional steps in place for the upcoming season. It's getting to spring, and if there's more that should or could be done for this season we'd like to do it. We'll keep talking to them about it," Mr. Schain said.
"We have never been comfortable ... about setting a precedent that would require boaters to have special stickers for specific bodies of water," he affirmed. "The real issue here is enforcement of state boating rules and regulations." In testimony submitted to a public hearing before the Environment Committee, DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy acknowledged that the matter of a boat sticker fee was raised in 2003 as a mechanism to provide funding for additional law enforcement on the lake.
"There are over 5,000 boats docked or moored on Candlewood Lake and 200 spaces at state launch facilities," she acknowledged. However, she noted that patrol hours on the lake have increased three- and four-fold since 2003.
"The department has concerns with the bill as written, because several of the key components do not align with what was discussed in 2003," she said. "For example, the proposed fees are much higher and the CLA would be given authorization to unilaterally impose future fee increases.
"Continued discussions are needed to fully understand the need for the program and to ensure that it is fair and equitable for all users," the commissioner said.
#931593 - 03/20/0804:34 PM
Re: Plan For Candlewood Nixed By DEP
[Re: Mitch P.]
BASSMANinCT
Member
Registered: 03/19/02
Posts: 1107
Mitch, where was that from?
One thing that was either forgotten or was not pointed out in that, is that the accidents have DECREASED over the past few years down to 3 in the past two consectutive years.
To quote Jon's last post,
Quote:
If I'm part of the local "ski club" and want to get out at 6AM, no problem but, the tournament guys will have restrictions placed on them. And you can guarantee, their will be at least one and usually two radar guns pointing at the start of your event and or hiding behind an island waiting to catch those evil bass fishermen. Is this not profiling???
Not to defend that truth, but us "tournament guys" know better. You can also bet money that if we obeyed the laws better, then they will stop being out there. They are out there with radar guns then because they know that someone is going to speed, and they can write a ticket. I say, let them be there. I'm not speeding or breaking any laws. Why should the next guy be allowed to. In other words, if you are not breaking any laws, there is no reason to worry about them being there. The will leave us alone.
Let's also start pushing our government to open up new opportunities for increasing revenues for the DEP: How about a permit or sticker for fisherman allowing access to resevoirs in other areas of the state, with boats or without. Think of the cash pile that would come in if they opened up some of them. Yes, they would also need more DEP personnel for patroling those new waters, but I have a suggestion for that too:
I mentioned somewhere in another post about this topic, and that idea is this: Let's ALL GET MORE PROACTIVE in our own misery, in otherwords, lets be cooperative in enforcing laws and regulations in our states. This kind of "Neighbor Hood Watch program has been very successful in our homes, why can't it be on our lakes? If you have 30 people out on a lake fishing it, and someone witnesses something illegal, call the police. Police respond (and it doesn't always have to be DEP, let's get regular policemen up to date on DEP laws and regulations, why do they have to spend so much time writing speeding tickets?
This idea could really work. It works in neighborhoods. It works in other states on their resevoirs. Let's do something besides close up our waters and restrict use of them.
Edited by BASSMANinCT (03/20/0804:42 PM)
"A bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work!"
#931596 - 03/20/0804:41 PM
Re: Plan For Candlewood Nixed By DEP
[Re: BASSMANinCT]
CWood Man
Stop Bitchin' And Get Fishin'!
Registered: 02/13/04
Posts: 22753
Loc: Villas NJ
Good point Bassman. We sit at our beach in Echo Bay and constantly watch the CLA pull people over leaving the Hatch. Everyone assumes they are drunk but twice in 3 nights my friend and his family got pulled over between 9-10 pm and both times he was obviously not drunk.
There is profiling all over so sorry, but I really don't want to hear that bass boats are targeted. I am constantly targeted because my lake boat is fast and does make some noise. 2 years ago a young punk from CLA pulled me over because I "sounded"like I was speeding. I have a stock Captains Call exhaust which when its on the side hull exhaust it does sound pretty mean but far from the real loud ones. Again I was profiled! Again not just bass boats being targeted guys.
Edited by CWood Man (03/20/0804:44 PM)
CHANGE IS SCARY BUT IT IS REWARDING ON THE OTHER SIDE!
SURELY MISS MY CTF FRIENDS BUT ALWAYS WILL BE HERE TO GIVE ALL A HARD TIME!
#931597 - 03/20/0804:50 PM
Re: Plan For Candlewood Nixed By DEP
[Re: CWood Man]
BASSMANinCT
Member
Registered: 03/19/02
Posts: 1107
Now there's an idea:
Lets call for a sticker system for the Hatch. If you want to enter and drink at the Hatch, and use the Candlewood Lake Authority's time, you should have to pay for it too. Make the Hatch pay for those patrols with the permit system for the Hatch. LOL
"A bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work!"
#931634 - 03/20/0807:13 PM
Re: Plan For Candlewood Nixed By DEP
[Re: BASSMANinCT]
Jighead
I love re-re-opening day
Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 11191
Originally Posted By: BASSMANinCT
Let's also start pushing our government to open up new opportunities for increasing revenues for the DEP:
That been my thought on this sticker situation all along. We don't need new rules and laws, we need to enforce the ones we have already. If there is not enough DEP manpower/budget, then insist on more. This is why we have elected official in the first place.
All through these Cwood "sticker" threads I see the same problem, people not abiding by the rules and nobody to enforce them. Not enough DEP budget they say - then focus efforts on those that control these budgets. And Don't further tax boaters who follow the rules - punish the wallets of those that don't.
The next time you see the DOT working on the side of the road, where one guy is working while he has three more guys watching him work - Wonder if your tax dollars are going to the right places. Then again, perhaps they only have the budget for one shovel...and are taking turns with it.
Yep, We cannot have adequate DEP coverage inland so they push for a saltwater license that needs enforcement as well and stretch them even further. That'll fix things right up.