News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March, 2001

ATTACK ON THE WATER: The Facts About the Personal Watercraft Ban in Our
National Parks

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristin Young
202-775-1401

BACKGROUND

On March 21, 2000, the National Park Service (NPS) published a regulation banning personal watercraft (PWC) in 66 of the 87 national parks.

In the remaining 21 parks, the Park has two years to work with communities to decide how to handle personal watercraft use in each park. In 11 of the remaining parks, the decision would require the passage of a special regulation permitting personal watercraft use. In the other 10 parks, the special regulation could be passed, but Park Superintendents also may determine that recreational vehicles are one of the original purposes of the waterway and allow the use of personal watercrafts.

An extremist, anti-access group dedicated to ending a wide-array of recreational activities in the national park system, set their sights on personal watercraft and filed a federal suit against the NPS to ban all PWCs by 2002.

Wanting to be sure the voice of the industry and the more than 19 million PWC owners were heard, Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) filed a motion in federal court to ensure fair and open participation in the process.

December 20, 2000, the NPS caved to the radical pressure and settled the lawsuit behind closed doors, before the new administration could assess the case and without even giving the people the opportunity to be heard on this important issue.

A federal judge currently is reviewing the settlement, but it is possible that federal officials could ban personal watercrafts from national parks (even where it is currently in use) by September 15, 2002.

WHAT ARE THE FACTS ABOUT PERSONAL WATERCRAFT?

Forget what you think you know about personal watercraft. A campaign of misinformation has led many people to question personal watercraft use, but in fact the industry has been advocating environmental stewardship, safety and responsible access to our nation's waterways for years. Consider the facts:

Personal watercraft manufacturers have gone to great lengths to protect the environment, investing in technological advances since 1998 that have resulted in cleaner, quieter and more efficient crafts. Today's PWCs have 75% fewer emissions and are up to 70% quieter than 1998 models.

Because PWCs have no propellers, they do not harm sensitive marine life. A 1997 study in the Florida Keys found personal watercraft do not harm seagrass beds or create significant water turbulence.

The average PWC operator is not who you think it is. A study by Bowe Marketing Research revealed the majority of personal watercraft owners are married with families (71%). The average owner is a middle-aged, highly educated, white-collar worker with extensive boating experience. And 73% of those people who own personal watercraft are the primary users.

By advocating minimum age requirements, mandatory boating education and shoreline sound reduction, the industry is dedicated to promoting safe and responsible use of personal watercraft.

26 states have implemented PWIAês model legislation requiring minimum age requirements and mandatory boating education. In these states, accidents have fallen dramatically. In Wisconsin, alone, mandatory boating education has led to a 30% decrease in PWC accidents.

The Coast Guard reported that in the last three years PWC accidents decreased by 3% nationwide while other all boating accidents increased by 7%.

The recent ban in our National Parks and other federal lands was based on ignorance, not facts. In truth, this is the first attack in a larger war against many recreational activities in our National Park system. If the ban is allowed to stand, it is only a matter of time before your favorite activity becomes the target.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PWC REGULATION
AFFECTED PARKS AND ACTION TAKEN