News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 9, 2003

Three National Parks Reopen to Personal Watercraft
In Time for Summer Boating, Studies Affirm PWC are Cleaner and Quieter

Contact:
Elinore Boeke, 202-721-1621
Brian Berry, 202-777-3524

Washington, DC ? One year after the National Park Service was required by a court settlement to begin prohibiting personal watercraft, one National Seashore and two National Recreation Areas have reopened their gates in time for the peak summer boating months.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ/NV), Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ/UT), and Assateague Island National Seashore (MD/VA) have recently announced that personal watercraft recreationers are welcome. Scientific analyses of the effects of personal watercraft are currently underway in thirteen other National Park Service units.

"We're pleased that science is ruling over bias, confirming that modern PWC are cleaner and quieter than ever," said Kirsten Rowe, Executive Director of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA). “I am confident that these three openings are the leading edge and that other National Park Service units will soon follow suit.” Rowe pointed out that "there is no rational basis to discriminate against PWC in public bodies of water that allow motorboats."

Often referred to by trade names including JET SKI, WaveRunner and Sea-Doo, personal watercraft (PWC) were banned from most National Recreation Areas and Seashores last year as a result of a 2000 lawsuit between an anti-boating group and the National Park Service. Each unit that seeks to reopen to PWC must now complete a scientific study of PWC impact on the local environment and prepare a rule. Lake Mead and Assateague Island have both completed this process and have determined that PWC have no unique impact on their waterways. In fact, in every instance where a scientific assessment has measured the impact of PWC on a public body of water where motorized boating is permitted, modern PWC have been found to be appropriately included in multiple-use waterways management plans.

At Lake Powell, a recent lawsuit resulted in a settlement that allows PWC use during the 2003 boating season, while the rulemaking completes its final stages. Lake Powell’s preferred alternative indicates that PWC will likely be permanently allowed, with reasonable restrictions. This news is welcome to many local businesses in the popular, man-made lake region that relies on tourism and boaters.

Modern PWC are compliant with federal and state emissions requirements, and many models are ahead of schedule, meeting the EPA's 2006 standards. As a result of an industry-wide commitment to update engine technology since 1998, manufacturers have been producing PWC that are 75 percent cleaner and 70 percent quieter than previous models. New models can seat up to four passengers and tow a water skier or inner tube. PWC have evolved into an environmentally friendly boating choice for families who wish to enjoy the water together, and have found personal watercraft to be affordable, approachable, and easy to store, transport, and maintain.

Did you know?

• The typical PWC buyer is around age 40 with a family
• Nearly 75% of all PWC sold in the U.S. in 2002 were 3-passenger vessels *
• Half of all PWC sold in the U.S. in 2002 had new-technology engines such as 4-stroke and direct-injection *
• Twenty million Americans enjoy personal watercraft each year, according to a government survey +
• U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that 99 percent of PWC are operated accident-free
• Manufacturers have loaned 13,000 PWC to law enforcement, rescue, and research organizations for use in on-water patrols, search and rescue operations, and marine mammal research

As the trade association representing the five major personal watercraft manufacturers in the U.S., PWIA actively advocates for states to adopt reasonable regulations such as mandatory boating safety education for all PWC users, a minimum age of 16 to operate PWC, and daylight-only usage restrictions. PWIA’s mission is to ensure that personal watercraft and personal watercraft users are treated fairly when local, state, and federal government officials consider boating regulations. More information on PWIA is available at www.pwia.org.

The following chart details other national recreation areas, seashores, and lakeshores and their stage in the PWC review process. The National Park Service welcomes comments from the public.