Shawn Alladio
02-13-2007, 08:00 PM
Don't blame PWC for the problem
While we agree Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary should adopt rules committed to ocean protection, it is absurd to associate cruise-ship discharge and erosion with the small population of tow-in surfers who use personal watercraft (Editorial, Dec. 11). Simply put, tow-in surfing does not present a significant threat that should require a federal agency's intervention.
Sanctuary managers propose banning PWC (personal watercraft) based on alleged environmental impacts, yet there has been no scientific study conducted to determine if this is true. Consider this: 15 national parks have completed PWC environmental impact studies since 2002, and every one of them concludes PWC present no unique impact.
Why then, with no such study, is the sanctuary proposing a ban? This is really about a conflict between paddle-in and tow-in surfers, not PWC. There is room for compromise, but it requires a genuine interest in identifying an equitable solution. When this happens, everyone wins.
Maureen Healey,
executive director,
Personal Watercraft
Industry Association
Washington, D.C.
MercuryNews.com | 12/21/2006 | Hey Will, bloggers can offer insight
While we agree Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary should adopt rules committed to ocean protection, it is absurd to associate cruise-ship discharge and erosion with the small population of tow-in surfers who use personal watercraft (Editorial, Dec. 11). Simply put, tow-in surfing does not present a significant threat that should require a federal agency's intervention.
Sanctuary managers propose banning PWC (personal watercraft) based on alleged environmental impacts, yet there has been no scientific study conducted to determine if this is true. Consider this: 15 national parks have completed PWC environmental impact studies since 2002, and every one of them concludes PWC present no unique impact.
Why then, with no such study, is the sanctuary proposing a ban? This is really about a conflict between paddle-in and tow-in surfers, not PWC. There is room for compromise, but it requires a genuine interest in identifying an equitable solution. When this happens, everyone wins.
Maureen Healey,
executive director,
Personal Watercraft
Industry Association
Washington, D.C.
MercuryNews.com | 12/21/2006 | Hey Will, bloggers can offer insight