Motorized boat ban for Waldo signed

The agreement comes before a public hearing on the issue still planned for Monday in Eugene

Waldo Lake is now free of gas-powered motor boats, according to an accord signed quietly on Nov. 5 between Oregon and the U.S. Forest Service.

The state and federal governments agreed to set aside the issue of who owns the lake and work collaboratively to implement and enforce the motor boat ban to give visitors the tranquil “semiprimitive, nonmotorized” experience the Willamette National Forest has long envisioned there.

State Marine Board Director Paul Donheffner signed the document requiring him to initiate administrative rulemaking with the goal of adopting the gas-powered motor boat and float plane ban. Electric motors still would be allowed.

Donheffner signed the document 18 days before this Monday, when he is scheduled to come to Eugene for the first of two public hearings on whether the Marine Board should approve the ban.

The ban does not exist without the Marine Board’s approval, said June LeTarte, Donheffner’s assistant. Donheffner was not available for comment Friday afternoon.

The five-member Marine Board is scheduled to vote on the ban at its Jan. 14 meeting. The members have not signaled whether they approve, LeTarte said.

“But the board does recognize that the (agreement) has been signed. The board is aware of that, and the board is aware of how the governor feels about it,” LeTarte said.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski has long supported the ban. The Marine Board serves at the pleasure of the governor. The board is charged with hiring its own director. The board then delegates authority to the director.

In this case, Donheffner, the director, entered into the ban agreement with the Forest Service and also with the State Land Board, which also agreed to set aside the issue of ownership of the lake bed and endorse a motor boat ban.

The issue of banning motor boats on the pristine lake in the cascades, 70 miles east of Eugene-Springfield, has been a long-standing source of contention in Lane County.

Monday’s hearing is the culmination of nearly two decades of struggle that included multiple administrative actions, administrative challenges, lawsuits, appeals, political tussles and gubernatorial muscle work.

It’s likely to evoke an epic Eugene-style public hearing with a standing-room-only gallery and dozens signed up to speak their piece.

The Marine Board reserved the Goodson Room at the Lane County Public Works compound in North Eugene for a two-hour session, ending at 8 p.m. The room seats 80.

“Only so many people can come in at one time,” LeTarte said. “If we have space issues, say what you want to say and leave and let the next person say what they want to say.”

Donheffner will serve as the hearings officer. Testimony will be limited to three minutes. Written testimony can be submitted during Monday’s hearing or forwarded to the Marine Board through 5 p.m. Dec. 15.

One early comment submitter, Neil Halladey of Junction City, wrote that he’d hate to lose the ability to run his motor boat on the lake.

“The boat I use is an inboard 19 foot jet boat and a 2008 9.9 outboard for trolling. They are both four stroke motors and are very quiet and very, very clean,” he told the board in a letter.

But Timothy Brewer of Eugene wrote that the majority of Waldo Lake visitors would appreciate the serenity and purity of a petroleum-free lake.

“One gas-powered boat can be heard at great distances over much of the lake, destroying the other wise serene experience,” he wrote.

Eugene resident Mark Metzger wrote that the Waldo Lake quiet seekers will be disappointed even if the ban is enforced because the Forest Service allows campers to use generators in the nearby campgrounds.

“The boat motors are a whisper compared to the obnoxious generators that some inconsiderate campers use hours on end,” he wrote.

WALDO MOTOR BAN

The Oregon State Marine Board is asking for public comment on whether to ban gas- or diesel-powered boats from Waldo Lake. Here’s how to participate:

Eugene hearing: 6 p.m. Monday at the Lane County Public Works office, 3040 N. Delta Highway

Bend hearing: 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Bend Fire and Rescue Training Center, Classroom 1, 63377 Jamison Road

Comment in writing: E-mail before the 5 p.m. Dec. 15 deadline to osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us; mail to June LeTarte, OSMB, P.O. Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309; or fax to 503-378-4597.

For information: www.boatoregon.com/OSMB/BoatLaws/ProposedRules.shtml