Last year there was quite a discussion on this board about states requiring paddlers to deface their beautiful boats with registration number. The Oregon legislature is considering such a bill. The following was taken from the newsletter of the Lower Columbia Canoe Club in Portland.

Oregon House BilI 3483 - A Threat to All Paddlers

A summation of a letter sent to the LCCC from the Cascade Canoe Club of Salem, OR.

On March 7, HB 3483 was introduced in the Oregon State House of Representatives. The bill proposes registering all boats under 18 feet in length. All boats would be required to bear registration numbers and owners would pay a $15 fee every two years. The fees would go to the Oregon State Marine Board to fund programs primarily designed to benefit motor boaters.

The Marine Board estimates there are more non-motorized boats in Oregon than motorized craft. Registering non-motorized boats would provide the agency a sizeable windfall, which would probably be used to fund policies and facilities in favor of motor- boats and jet skis. Most of the agency's funding comes from a Marine Fuel Tax and most of the board's executive members come from the motor boating community.

If made law, HB 3483 would force non-motorized boaters to help subsidize the development and maintenance of facilities for the motor crowd. Isn't sharing the water- ways enough?

The bill has been referred to the House Transportation Committee, which is acting upon it now. It is critical that the members hear from us and understand the bill is unfair.

The committee members are:

Bruce Starr, Chair, R-Hillsboro, starr.rep@state.or.us
Alan Brown, Vice-Chair, R-Newport brown.rep@state.or.us
Jeff Merkley, Vice-Chair , D-Portland merkley.rep@state.or.us
Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin devlin.rep@state.or.us
Jeff Kropf, R-Halsey ~ kropf.rep@state.or.us
Donna Nelson, R-McMinnville nelson.rep@state.or.us
Diane Rosenbaum, D-Portland rosenbaum.rep@state.or.us
Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay verger.rep@state.or.us
Cliff Zauner, R-Woodburn zauner.rep@state.or.us

Here are some ideas you might wish to consider and express:

 The proposed fees are regressive. Non-motorized boats are much less expensive than motorized boats. A flat fee would translate into a much higher fee per cost of boat for non-motorized boaters ($15) than for motor boaters ($21-30). Many paddlers own a sizeable number of boats. The fees become prohibitive!
 The Oregon State Marine Board is unlikely to represent interests of paddlers. Paddlers support conservation. The board promotes development. Motorboat facilities frequently damage riparian environments, which are what paddlers are out to enjoy. Paddlers do not need these facilities.

 Since the primary funding of the Marine Board comes from the State Marine Fuel Tax, and since the board members are predominately motor boaters, it is evident that an agenda promoting motorized boating has been established and is highly unlikely to change.

 If, as the Marine Board estimates, there are more non-motorized boats than motor-boats, the board and the agency it manages should be reformed to serve broader public interests before any further discussion continues.

 The Marine Board's budget is already huge. It does not need more money.

 At statehood, Oregon's founders secured the right of free passage on our state's waterways. They intended it to remain that way for future generations.

Please email or call the committee members immediately. Paddlers have stopped previous attempts to assess unnecessary fees. We can do it again if we all take action.