PWC Use on Federal Lands

In 2000, a handful of national parks were unfortunately forced to prohibit the use of PWC because of alleged harmful environmental impact, despite evidence to the contrary. Today, 15 of these parks have completed independent environmental assessment studies and every one has concluded PWC present no significant unique environmental impact compared to other boats. The preferred rule is consistent in all 15 parks - PWC should no longer be banned.

NPS Rule Banning PWC: Flawed From the Beginning

In March 2000, as a result of a lawsuit brought forth by an anti-boating group, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a rule prohibiting personal watercraft (PWC) use throughout the entire national parks system. All other types of motorized boating remain allowed; only PWC were banned. The PWC industry believes this rule was flawed from the start, since it was not supported by any environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, nor did it include an economic impact analysis.

The NPS did recognize, however, that PWC use was presumptively appropriate in 21 specific units, where recreational boating was prominent. The NPS allowed PWC use to continue in these units for a two-year grace period, during which time each unit was supposed to evaluate PWC and, if appropriate, reauthorize PWC use. These 21 park units would have to conduct a full NEPA analysis (environmental assessment) and complete a special rulemaking to authorize PWC use beyond the grace period. Despite this 24-month window to complete the analyses, not a single park unit complied.

Five of those 21 park units immediately indicated no intention to review future PWC use, even though the NPS had already determined that PWC use was presumptively appropriate in those units. The two-year period passed in 2002 and none of the remaining 16 parks completed the requisite environmental assessment and rulemakings, and as a result - PWC and the families who enjoy them were banned from their national parks.

To date, 15 of the 21 national parks units have completed a site-specific environmental assessment and every one of them has concluded that PWC present no unique impact on the environment and therefore should not be banned on waters that allow other types of motorized boating.

As of February 2007, there are three national park units that are still in the rulemaking process:

• Big Thicket National Preserve (TX)
• Gateway National Recreation Area (NY, NJ)
• Padre Island National Seashore (TX)

It has been seven years since the National Park Service shut down the entire system to PWC use, and five years since the grace period to complete the assessments expired. These units that remain closed are closed because of bureaucratic delays. The NPS has completed 15 environmental assessments on PWC use in various units, and each and every one of them have supported re-introducing these vessels back in the park unit.

Economic Harm Caused by PWC Bans

A study conducted by The Trade Partnership in 2006, supported by economic data used by the National Park Service in its NEPA analyses, estimated the total up and downstream economic impact caused by the bans in the national parks at more than $2.7 billion over the last nine years. The PWC industry alone has suffered an approximately $1.3 billion hit. Additionally, the study concludes that the bans have caused more than 3,300 American jobs to be lost, and for each year the bans persist, it costs the economy $567 million. The PWC industry feels these numbers are conservative, considering The Trade Partnership study does not examine the impact felt by small business owners who own and operate PWC dealerships.

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

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