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RBAW Monthly Newsletter
- March 2023 -
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Extending
Southern Resident Killer Whale Buffer Zone
A
Senate Bill (SB
5371) for vessels to remain 1000 yards (instead of 300/400) away from
Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) has passed the
Senate floor. It is now in the House
(HB 1145) where
some version of this extended buffer zone is likely to pass into
law.
RBAW has
always been sensitive to the SRKW population which currently has only
73 whales. This new legislation is being
proposed as it has been reported that new research shows noise from
vessels is disturbing these whales and changing their foraging and
other behaviors.
RBAW has
worked closely with legislators to influence amendments to the original Senate bill such as:
- Delaying
implementation from
immediate until
1/1/2025
- Reducing
infractions from from $500 to "up to $250"
- Giving
officers discretion to offer educational material in lieu of
issuing an infraction
- Establishment
of a task force to determine
how to implement this
new bill
RBAW
still does not support this bill as currently written due to
the practical issues with a vessel operator identifying an SRKW at 6/10th of a mile.
However, if the Bill is signed into law, RBAW will be on the
task force and communicate with members
on how to navigate the rules and understand the intent of the law.
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Boating Revenue NOT Spent on
Boating
It’s important
that Washington refresh the 2010 Joint Legislative Audit and Review
Committee (JLARC) study
on
activities
supporting recreational boating in Washington
state. In 2010, findings showed that the state collected $70.9
million in boating-related revenue during the 2007-2009 biennium
but spent only $54 million on recreational boating services and
activities.
RBAW’s
position is that taxes and fees collected from boaters should be
used
to support boating programs
and activities.
Given the study’s age, a new
assessment is in order. RBAW’s lobbyist is working with Senator
John Braun from the 20th legislative
district and representatives in the House to include language in
the state operating budget that would authorize JLARC to update
this report.
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Lakebay Marina Renovations are Prioritized,
but Not Yet Funded
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RBAW
was happy to see this project make the initial cut for prioritized
funding by the Recreation & Conservation Office (RCO), now on
to the next step to secure funding through the legislative budget
process. RBAW lobbyist, Trevor Justin is watching this closely.
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$2M Needed for Pump Out Services
RBAW
continues to work with a coalition of environmental groups,
recreational boating organizations, tug operators, and Washington
State Parks on a 2023-25 Capital Budget request of $2 million for
pump out capacity in the state. Half of this request ($1m) is for studying and expanding mobile pump-out capacity in the state for recreational boaters, while the other half of the ask
($1m) is to establish
a pump out operation for
commercial vessels, likely to be located
at the Port of Anacortes.
State Sen. Liz Lovelett
from the 40th
legislative district and State Rep. Julia
Reed from the 36th
legislative
district are championing this request.
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'Mind The Zone' Lake Union
Seaplane Safety Project
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In last summers inaugural year of the #MindTheZone campaign, power,
sail
and
paddle watergoers on lake union did a great job
of
minding those flashing seaplane advisory buoys.
There
were zero reported seaplane vs watergoer incidents - a great improvement
from the
prior year.
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RBAW is busy getting ready for summer 2023, if you
would like any information on this campaign please email us at mindthezone@rbaw.org. Funding was secured from from the
City of Seattle budget last December for RBAW to continue this
project for the next 2 years, in big thanks to Council member Dan
Strauss. RBAW is seeking additional funding from the state
legislature with the support of State Sen. Noel Frame and Rep. Julia Reed (both from the 36th
legislative
district (Ballard/ Magnolia area).
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Eyesores on the Water
RBAW is
supportive of the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) legislation
regarding removal of derelict structures and
incentive funds for marina operators (SB 5433 /
HB 1378). DNR sought RBAW feedback and incorporated
proposed changes. RBAW President Bob Wise testified in
support of this legislation on both the House and Senate bills and
requested adequate funding be included for the grant programs in
the bill. Both bills passed their chamber of origin unanimously,
budget details are pending.
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Safety Education for Paddle
Boarders?
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Legislation
(SB
5597 / HB
1781) was introduced to
require operators of “human-powered vessels” (paddle boards,
kayaks, etc.) to obtain boating safety education and establishment
of a new paddle craft education card program.
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RBAW
has always supported effective education and safety practices and
our past president Steve Greaves served as Chair of Washington
Alliance for Mandatory Boater Education in 2001, when the original
education requirements were defined. RBAW testified in
opposition to these proposed bills due to concerns with specific
portions of this bill. Both bills failed to pass and won’t be considered further this session.
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Reducing Plastic Pollution
While RBAW is opposed to pollution in our
waterways, HB 1085
nearly
had a very negative impact on Washington docks
and marinas. While not directly affected by portions of the bill,
one
section of the original bill would have prohibited expanded or
extruded plastic foam in docks, floats, walkways and other marina structures.
This would have banned the use of the
current industry standard foam filled polyethylene tubs used as
replacement for older open or shrink-wrapped polystyrene floats.
The Northwest Marine Trade Association, RBAW’S
lobbyist and Board members, and other industry partners were able
to define and negotiate language regarding minimum thickness
standards for these types of
encased structures and
allow their continued use.
The bill was amended to incorporate agreed to language and now RBAW
is neutral on the legislation.
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Fair Watercraft Excise Taxes
RBAW continues to work to fix
inequities in the Depreciation Schedule being used by the
Department of Revenue (DOR) to assess boaters the ˝ of 1 percent
Watercraft Excise Tax they pay each year. Key concerns have been
shared, chiefly that it is not
representative of the depreciated value of vessels purchased 14-15
or more years ago. DOR and RBAW are exploring a more realistic approach or a legislative fix for the 2024 Legislature.
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Will you help RBAW grow the voice of Northwest
boating? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to engage with RBAW,
where we will offer advocacy updates, post “Did you know?” topics,
and share stories of adventure on Washington State waters! Join in
the fun!
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