August 7,1998

Governor Christine Todd Whitman
CN 001, State House
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0001

Re:  Personal Watercraft   

Dear Governor Whitman:

    For a state that has worked so hard to protect itself as a tourist destination, we should not forget that it is also one of the most populated states in the union.  Many of its shoreline residents feel that their lifestyles are being impacted by the burgeoning used of personal watercraft.
    To invite visitors to "come down to Barnegat Bay," the "best place to ride jet skis," does a disservice to the local population.   Many stakeholders of the Bay live here purposely to sail, fish and dream.   These pursuits are almost impossible when you are surrounded by 60 mile per hour thrill seekers on PWC.  Sure it's fun - but is it beneficial to the Bay, to the citizens of quality life?
    From California, Washington's San Juan County to Maine and Florida, the furor continues.  Many vacationers are so distraught at this water pandemonium that they vow not to return.  This is counterproductive to New Jersey's welcome and begs for some control.  The Barnegat Bay Watershed Association wishes to add its voice to the examination of this important issue.
    In May, our Personal Watercraft seminar highlighted insights of biologists, the NJ State Police, the Personal Watercraft Association, and members of several environmental organizations.  The reiteration of concern about disturbance of nesting birds (endangered species among them) and wildlife; noise, water and air pollution; the damage to spawning grounds in our rich estuary; and the disregard by irresponsible riders of boating regulations has resulted in an unenviable accident rate involving PWC (50% of all boating accidents).  These have all been well documented in the media.
    More than one million personal watercraft  share our congested waterways.  Because Americans don't like regulations, a consensual agreement may be to everyone's benefit.  The Barnegat Bay Association offers the following   recommendations:

1)    Environmentally sensitive areas of the bay, where large beds of submerged aquatic vegetation, shellfish beds, etc. abound, should be off limits to PWCs.  The nutrient life needed by bay creatures for growth should be open to as much sunlight as possible, not constantly having sediment stirred up by jet engines.  Boat engines can also kill a significant number of organisms as they are sucked up through the engine.

2)    Set a sensible speed limit, (30-35 mph), along all of Barnegat Bay, and a lower speed in No Wake Zones.  Larvae and eggs float on our shallow bay, from April through October.  Some PWC engines can reach maximum speeds in less than four seconds.  According to the California Air Resources Board, emissions from a jet ski engine in two hours are equivalent to emissions from a 1998 car operating for about 130,000 miles.

3)    Personal Watercraft should be prohibited from operating within 100 feet of the shoreline (and persons in the water).  The need for this regulation is evident in a quote from the "Kawasaki Riders Handbook," telling us that "High RPM operation of PWCs" in very shallow water can cause significant erosion.  This regulation would also give good service to the abatement of noise for shoreline residents and their safety.

4)    Diligent regulatory enforcement by the State Police or municipalities is a must.  Might not a "deputy marine police squad," be formed, by municipalities that have high bay traffic in the summer, at a significant savings to the state?  They should ride PWCs themselves to make the enforcement effective.  We also suggest highly visible identifications on each watercraft rider, possibly on the vest worn by the rider.

5)    Limit children under 16 years of age from driving a vehicle.  This may bring down the horrific numbers shown by the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (1997).  A PWC user is 8 times more likely to suffer injury than a power boater.

6)    We also support the broadening of the PWC curriculum within the New Jersey Licensing course.  As a rental business does not need to give the certified safety course to their clients, they should be responsible for their renter's actions.  Each should have a designated use area beyond the channel markers, patrolled by a spotter from their property.

7)    We would like to see the establishment of a carrying capacity for the bay because of the shallowness of the water.

   No, you "can't regulate common sense," but you can legislate personal and environmental safety, for all stakeholders.  The Barnegat Bay Association hopes that as more and more people buy boats and kayaks, increasing the need for space on an already  over-stressed waterway, intelligent regulations, vigilantly enforced, should bring harmony to divergent groups and peace to one of our state's greatest natural resources - the Barnegat Bay.

Sincerely,