Ms. Letart,

I understand that as a canoe paddler my influence over the Marine Board is very small. Since the type of boating I do does not pay the Marine board a fee you probably will not consider my opinion. But consider this before you read any further. The Marine Board is about to close the river to canoeing, kayaking, drift boating and even fishing to allow a noisy, wasteful and, some will say, obscene practice. You are about to insult every environmentally sensitive person who uses the Willamette and Santiam rivers. Furthermore, you are about to isolate canoeists and kayakers forever from ever being in favor of operating their human powered craft as licensed watercraft. If this is your goal in closing the Willamette river in May to operate the river as a NASCAR racing course for hyped up power boats than you should know in advance this will be the damage you are about to incur. 

The presence of 20 safety boats, dive teams and increased marine patrols to enforce the closure of the river is not increasing safety at all.  It is an insult. Turning the Willamette River into cordoned off area protected by armed public officials to be used exclusively by private individuals for their exclusive pleasure should not be the function of the Oregon State Marine Board or any marine board or public agency.

I am deeply disappointed that the Marine board would even consider using pristine stretches of the Willamette as a common race course. Eagles, Red Tail Hawks and Great Blue Herons live here. The water is clean and the rural backdrop is perfect for afternoons of fishing and paddling. There are campgrounds along this route that are a joy to spend the night at. This area has a fantastic remote feel and needs to be protected as such. Both the Santiam and Willamette rivers are treasures we should cherish and protect.

We don't allow ATV racing in pristine remote areas of forest. Why is the peace of the upper Willamette to be victim of this powered polluting assault? I understand the Marine Board would entertain this idea to encourage more power boating. More licensed power boats means increased revenues for you. Great. But the message the Marine Board would send to boaters on the river otherwise is clear; the Oregon State Marine Board wants only to increase revenues and does not care at what expense to the environment or to the non-motorized people who get enjoyment from it. Only money talks at the State Marine Board.

Does the Marine Board actually believe that encouraging racing on the river is a benefit to the regular users of the river and the environment? Gasoline is going to be near 3 dollars a gallon; do we really need to encourage the waste of fuel at the expense of wild life habitat? Do we really want to send a message to power boaters in general that unsafe operation of boats on the river anywhere is okay? This is what the Oregon State Marine Board should be taking into consideration when deciding to close the Willamette River and cordone it off with armed gunmen.

Regards,

Russ Woodward