Jet Boaters Will Battle Restrictions Rules Governing Powerboats In Hells Canyon Draw Crowd Strongly Critical Of Forest Service
Cursing restrictions they say threaten a way of life, jet boaters vowed Tuesday to keep fighting new rules limiting access into Hells Canyon.
More than 100 people packed the Snake River Forum in Lewiston Tuesday night to comment on U.S. Forest Service regulations going into effect this year.
“We in the Northwest have experienced the Forest Service, the BLM and other management agencies, and their will upon us has been adverse at least. We didn’t have a problem here until we were managed,” said Lewiston resident Dave Beuke.
“The Forest Service has been taken over by extremist environmentalists in my opinion.”
Forest Service officials announced last week it will begin banning powerboats from 21 miles of the canyon Monday through Wednesday, every other week during the peak recreation season between June and August. Powerboaters must also make reservations to run the scenic stretch of the Snake on weekends and holidays.
With its powerful whitewater, abundant wildlife and ancient petroglyphs, North America’s deepest gorge is a popular attraction for tourists seeking wilderness river excursions.
But alongside the Snake River, a debate is raging through the heart of Hells Canyon over how best to manage recreational access into its depths.
Rafters support the restrictions, which they believe will improve safety and the solitude of their float trips.
“Why do we have sidewalks? Because we need to separate the motorized from the nonmotorized,” said Ric Bailey, executive director of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, based in Joseph, Ore.
Rafters also face stiffer restrictions under the new plan, which limits the number of commercial and rafting groups, as well as the number of people in each party.
“We are trying to create a situation on the river where there is some semblance of wildness, some semblance of quiet,” Bailey said. “… where you don’t feel like you are in an urban environment.”
But commercial guides who use aluminum jet boats to navigate Hells Canyon Class 3 and 4 rapids said the restrictions could mean big financial losses. Property owners voiced concern over access to their land, while some disabled recreationists said the restrictions discriminate against them.
After Juliaetta, Idaho, resident John Miller broke his back, his custom-designed boat became his wheelchair up the river.
“Are you going to completely lock us all out?” asked Miller. “My only access was to get a jet boat to make my life a little better.”
Plans to manage the river started in 1989 after a University of Idaho recreation study showed conflicts among users were worsening along the river.
A plan was hatched in 1994, but it has been awash in administrative, political and legal challenges ever since.
Sandra Mitchell, executive director of the Hells Canyon Alliance, blasted government officials for not paying attention to overwhelming public opposition to the plan.
The regulations could still be delayed if a lawsuit is filed or pending legislation is passed protecting jet boaters’ river rights and thwarting the Forest Service’s management role.
“Those are the threats,” Hells Canyon Recreation Area River Manager Linda McFadden said in an earlier interview. “But there are no management decisions left to be made. The court is telling us we have to implement it.”
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