[OCDACTIVE]

To all Legislators:

The 2 year Speed Limit on Lake Winnipesaukee was intended to be a test to gather data as to the relevance (if any) that a speed limit is needed on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Well funded lobbyist groups like the Winnfabs pushed for Speed Limit test zones in 2007 to prove to the legislature that there is an issue with speeding on our big Lake. When the Marine patrol conducted this test it was shown that only .01% of boats exceeded the speed limit tests.

However this was not what these groups had planned. These groups then lobbied to have a 2 year Trial on the entire lake because they claimed “The Fast Boats just avoided the Test Zones giving us skewed data”

This two year trial was approved and we are one boating season through this test phase. Yet now we have members of the Senate and House stating there is not enough time to collect data and are moving to have the sunset clause removed and the speed limits made permanent, without the Data promised to the legislature and to the NH citizens.

I for one am outraged that we were promised information one way or the other before a permanent decision would be made final.

These groups use fear and misdirection to try to convince the legislation and the NH public that there is chaos on our waterways. However not one piece of data can be used to back these up. Expressions such as “we feel safer” drive their agenda. There is not one example of an accident directly resulting from speed on Lake Winnipesaukee in decades. These groups have an agenda to move for the elimination of particular types of boats from the lake. They are using these speed limits as a stepping stone for further bills to be filed. Please do not be duped into these falsifications of the truth.

I want to hear what the professionals think. The people charged with keeping our lake safe and enforcing the issues i.e. The Marine Patrol.
The people of this great state and those who visit her, driving millions of dollars into its economy, deserve what we were promised: A comprehensive Study.
This has not yet been accomplished, so why should the limits be made permanent????

This law is nothing but a piece of feel good legislation that does not address the problem, instead in singles out a specific group of safe recreational boaters who are law abiding tax paying citizens.

I implore you to request the data and studies as promised to us.