Paddler News Feed

 

•	Features
•	Hotline
•	Letter from the ACA
•	Skills
•	Paddle People

< May/June 2001
	Letter from the ACA
Fumes of Discontent Understanding the conflict between motorized and non-motorized recreation David Jenkins

Four years ago, in response to member concerns, the American Canoe Association (ACA) began addressing the growing conflict between paddlers and jet ski users. The ACA’s first step was reaching out to the jet ski industry to find areas of agreement. What ACA quickly discovered was a fundamental disagreement. Jet ski advocates, including the Personal Watercraft Industry Association and American Watercraft Association, are unwilling to identify any category of waters where jet skis don't belong--not even designated wilderness or whitewater rivers.

The conflicts between motorized recreation and non-motorized recreation go beyond the paddlers and jet skiers. Hikers and backpackers encounter similar problems with all terrain vehicle (ATV) and off-road motorcycle use, and cross-country skiers are currently besieged by snowmobile use. These divergent recreational activities are engaged in a national struggle over the use of the nation’s public lands and waters.

Paddlers, hikers, backpackers and cross-country skiers raise almost identical complaints with respect to motorized use, including noise, speed, wildlife harassment, air pollution, water pollution, resource destruction, reckless operation, and--in some cases–the intentional harassment of people. Reflected in the complaints are three primary concerns: the safety of non-motorized user; the damage to the environment; and the loss of the recreational experience.

In general, the experiences being sought by non-motorized users are different from those being sought by motorized users. The ACA recently reviewed dozens of articles and advertisements in motorized recreation magazines, and monitored motorized user Internet forums. While admittedly anecdotal, the results indicate that users of jet skis, ATVs and snowmobiles may enjoy nice scenery and wide-open spaces, but the primary source of enjoyment is the speed and performance of the machine--not the natural environment.

Alternatively, with many non-motorized activities enjoyment is dependent on the quality of the natural environment and its wildness. Having clean air and water, seeing wildlife, listening to the sounds of nature, and escaping from the noise of everyday life are essential parts of these activities. The presence of motorized recreation can entirely deny the non-motorized user the recreational experience he or she is seeking.

Because of such a clear difference in goals, the ACA and other non-motorized groups are trying to preserve non-motorized recreational opportunities by insisting that some natural resource areas be off-limits to motorized use. Other national organizations--such as Wilderness Society and the National Parks and Conservation Association--also find motorized use unacceptable in certain areas and are involved in similar efforts. In the past year these efforts have paid off. The most notable results: new National Park Service (NPS) regulations banning jet ski and snowmobile use in most National Park Units; and a USDA Forest Service policy to protect the remaining roadless areas within National Forests. It would be nice to declare victory and move on to other issues, but it appears these victories are tenuous; the new restrictions are not being well received by motorized-use advocates.

Last fall jet ski and snowmobile advocates tried unsuccessfully to pass legislation to reverse some of the new policies. With a new President in office, the motorized recreation crowd sees opportunity to reverse our progress (motorized-use advocates also have powerful allies in Congress). Motorized-use advocates claim they are being unfairly discriminated against, and portray this as a battle between environmentalist and recreation. They don't want the issue perceived as a conflict between differing recreational needs. If we are to succeed, it's critical that every paddler, hiker and anyone else who wants to occasionally escape into wild places, make their voices known to their representatives in Congress and to the Bush Administration.

Motorized users are working to protect and expand their recreational opportunities; non-motorized users must do the same. The ACA Web site (www.acanet.org) provides contact information for your elected representatives. You can even compose and send letters directly from the site. Please make your voice heard.

--David Jenkins, Director of Conservation and Public Policy.

Support the ACA’s Jet Ski Campaign!
Each person who makes a donation of $25 or more to the ACA Jet Ski Campaign will receive a "Bad Buzz" T-shirt, an original design for the ACA by artist Rob Goldberg of Haines, Alaska. Donations can be made by calling the ACA at (703) 451-0141, or by sending a check to: 7432 Alban Station Blvd., Suite B-232, Springfield, VA 22150. Reference the ACA Jet Ski Campaign with your donation and include shirt size.