Ban lifted in parts of Pictured Rocks; Jet Skis OK

[Hamilton Reef]

Ban lifted in parts of Pictured Rocks; Jet Skis OK

MUNISING - Personal watercraft use is now allowed in some limited places at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore after a ban in place since 2002 was lifted this week.

A final rule was published Thursday in the Federal Register, adopting a previously proposed regulation which was the preferred alternative of park planners.

http://www.miningjournal.net/news/story/1029202005_new01-n1029.asp

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 207 / Thursday, October 27, 2005 / Rules and Regulations
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-21426.pdf

[Hamilton Reef]

Personal watercraft returning to Pictured Rocks

Friday, November 04, 2005 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor

Personal watercraft use is once again allowed along portions of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A lakeshore rule change published in the Federal Register on Oct. 27 ends a three-year ban on the machines.

"Our conclusion is that it is appropriate to allow PWC (personal watercraft) use in a portion of the park and that it would not have an unacceptable impact on the visitors," said Jim Northup, the superintendent for the national lakeshore on Lake Superior between Munising and Grand Marais.

PWC use was halted there in 2002 after a lawsuit was filed against the National Park Service, which claimed national parks were allowing PWC to operate without having ana-

lyzed their impact on the environment. Critics maintained the popular machines were excessively noisy and polluted the air and water.

Pictured Rocks was one of 21 national lakeshores, seashores and recreation areas around the country that were given the option of continuing to allow PWC use while they were banned at 66 other national parks.

Parks where PWC use was thought appropriate had until 2002 to develop restrictions controlling their use. Those that took longer were required to do an environmental assessment and go public with the results.

The Upper Peninsula lakeshore banned PWC use in 2002 and published a draft rule in 2004 to elicit public comment. The final rule, just published, allows the change to go into effect immediately.

PWC use now will be allowed along a six-mile stretch of the lakeshore from its western park boundary to the east end of Miners Beach. Riders will be able to launch only at the designated Sand Point Ramp near Munising.

Beaching the machines will only be allowed at two locations: Sand Point and Miners Beach.

"They will be able to come and go from launch sites, but Michigan (boating) regulations do not allow PWCs within 200 feet of shore unless they are running perpendicular and at no-wake speeds," said Northup. "They have to stay some distance offshore."

PWCs will not be allowed to operate or launch anywhere else along the remaining 34 miles of the lakeshore. Nor will they be allowed to operate on inland lakes within park boundaries.

PWC industry representatives have hailed the decision at the park, saying it proves that PWCs do not pollute.

But Northup says there is more to the decision. Lakeshore staff say PWC use is not typically heavy there because of the very cold water on Lake Superior. As such their impact tends to be very small.

"We did a careful analysis of their noise and pollutants and found it would be very minor," said Northup. "But we also concluded their use was not appropriate along the rest of the shoreline in the national lakeshore."

[sidfishious]

When I was at the park this past summer I asked about boating around the park and the ranger said that no boats other than the cruises were allowed with-in 1/2 mile of the shore. Yet I saw 20+ boats out there both days that we were there. I can't find any regulations that say anything about boats or are boats considered PWC's. Does anyone know what the rules governing boating around the park are?