Proposed PWC ban is voted down
WASHINGTON – Residents of Waterford, Maine have voted down a proposal that recommended to the state legislature that personal watercraft be prohibited on Keoka Lake, according to a recent press release from the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA).
Maine does not permit localities to enact bans without the approval of the legislature, but the March 6 vote stopped the process from going forward, PWIA said.
“Personal watercraft have a rightful place in public bodies of water where other forms of motorized boating are permitted,” said Christian Gullott, manager of State Affairs for PWIA. “Because of remarkable technological advancements to achieve a 75 percent reduction in emissions and a 70 percent reduction in sound, there is no logical, scientific reason to single-out personal watercraft.
“Dedicated local activists worked closely with PWIA representatives to chart a course for fair access to this public lake for both residents and visitors. The lake is not the sole domain of lakefront property owners nor should the rules of the lake to be dictated only by those who can afford a house with a view of the lake from their back yard.”
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