This past month or so has been a big victory for fisherman and recreational boaters. With President Bush signature the bass fisherman and recreational boaters won a long time futuristic victory. This is welcome news for the fishing industry as the law permanently restores the long-standing exemption for the recreational boaters within the Clean Boating Act of 2008. It became necessary for all of us who enjoy the waters after a U.S. District Court decision in September 2006 which potentially subjected approximately 17 million recreational boats to permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. These permits would have been revenue intensive for you and me and would have put the burden on the boaters to maintain and operate within procedures that were designed for industrial polluters.
"Congress and the President have given anglers and boaters a much needed victory," said BASS Conservation Director Chris Horton. "The angling and boating communities came together like never before, and successfully convinced our political leaders that this regulation placed an undue burden on the millions of recreational boaters around the country.
For those who haven t followed these events; this has been a 2-year battle to exempt fisherman like you and me; it would have probably been the downfall of 2-stroke motors. It would have made you and me carry paperwork on our waters to prove our boat met very strict standards set by the EPA and would have added additional cost to us every year to use our boats on our local waterways. Thank God someone had some common sense, the polluters of our waters were not and never has been the motors powering the fisherman or recreational boaters boats. This law has been permanently been signed into law and should stand for many years to come!
COMMON SENSE PREVAILED!