[Woodsy]

A glimpse of things to come.....


A bill that would create a $20 fee for non-registered out-of-state boaters is being recommended for passage by the House of Representatives' Resources Recreation and Development Committee.

The bill is among two that cleared hurdles last week. The second bill would require boating rental agencies to register with the state and be more stringent about whom they hand the keys to.

A proposal that would require the purchase of a "boater education decal" to operate on inland waters has been given the "ought to pass" tag by the committee after a 16-4 vote on an amended version of the bill.

House Bill 815 would require non-registered boaters to purchase a sticker through the Department of Safety, but those with New Hampshire registrations would receive the decal for free.

Any boat whose size or classification would require it to be registered in New Hampshire would need to have a sticker with the decal under the proposed law, being sponsored by Rep. Chris Christensen, a Republican from Merrimack.

Christensen has been working with representatives from the New Hampshire Lakes Association to craft a bill aimed at boosting the contributions of non-registered boaters toward the cost of a lake management process that involves the N.H. Fish and Game Department, the Department of Environmental Services and its Dam Bureau, and the Marine Patrol.

Christensen says the current system does not require any permits for boaters who aren't registered in New Hampshire and who use their boats on inland waters for less than 30 consecutive days.

The decal has nothing to do with the state's official Boating Education Program but is being called a "boating education" sticker because it would provide recipients with information on issues like the spread of milfoil and other exotic weeds in New Hampshire waters. Maine has a similar decal that is required for out-of-state boaters.

The bill was placed before the Resources Recreation and Development Committee last week during a public hearing that saw most opposition relating to the allocation of revenues from its sale and concerns about how it might impact tourism.

The original version of the bill proposed that money from the $20 decals would be split, with $6 going to the N.H. Clean Lake Program and $6 going to the Dam Maintenance Fund.

The Department of Safety would get $2 from each decal as a processing fee and $4 that would go into the Marine Patrol's Navigation Safety Fund.

Another $2 from each decal would have gone toward the Fish and Game Department's public access efforts that help install boat ramps on inland bodies of water.

Christensen said the panel voted 20-0 to amend the bill so that each agency would receive $4.50 before recommending its passage by a 16-4 vote.

The panel also amended the bill to include a "sunset" clause that would require that come up for review in five years.

The bill's sponsor said the largest amount of opposition to the bill came from Rep. James Aguiar, D-Campton, who he expressed concerns about its enforceability by Marine Patrol.

Christensen said he has few concerns about the ability of Marine Patrol to enforce a law that would simply have officers checking for decals much like a police officer would look for an inspection sticker or a registration.

"My opinion is it's kind of like State Police checking your inspection or registration," said Christensen, adding that it obviously wouldn't be Marine Patrol's main task.

Derek Durbin, the environmental policy director for the N.H. Lakes Association, said he was pleased that the bill cleared the hurdle and is now headed toward the Ways and Means Committee.

However, some parties remain skeptical about a bill that they fear could hurt tourism.

Dick Smith of the N.H. Bass Federation told the committee he had "mixed" feelings about the bill during the public hearing and said the issue of tourism should be in the forefront of lawmakers' minds when it comes to the floor.

"We don't know for sure what impact this will have on our tourism ... I think Maine set a bad precedent. It's something legislators should give a lot of consideration to before they pass it," said Smith.

Smith said he understands that the bill would assist in the funding of departments like Fish and Game, which he admits is in need of serious budget help.

It was Smith who argued before the committee that Fish and Game should be given more money from the decal and he said the amended version is far more favorable.

"We are going to support this bill as amended," said Smith of the Bass Federation.

Christensen said he expects the bill to hit the full House floor in the next two weeks.

The House Transportation Committee has also recommended the passage of a HB 714 that seeks to require boating rental agencies to register annually with the Department of Safety.

The bill seeks to remedy concerns that some rental outfits are not providing adequate boating instruction to customers and would allow the state to revoke their registrations if they do not assure an operator understands New Hampshire boating laws before they turn over the keys.

The boating rental registration bill was recommended as "ought to pass" by a 12-0 vote in the Transportation Committee.