It is my understanding that most of the funding for the Scenic Rivers
support has been cut by the Republican Senate ­ it down to the amount
provided by the special licenses or about $75K. It might be of some help to
send letters or call your legislators to express your support of restoring
the Governorıs and Houseıs funding proposals in Conference Committee. The
funding would entail an additional $1.67 per registration per year for hand
powered boats and a transfer of the program to the Watercraft Division. As
already noted our COP recreational program has received quite a bit of money
through grants from Watercraft and they have been quite active in developing
handpowered boating (see attached).
Thanks much, jim

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Dillon, Pam" <Pam.Dillon@...>
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 11:18:33 -0400
To: James Murtha <jmurtha@...>
Conversation: Scenic Rivers
Subject: RE: Scenic Rivers

Thanks again Jimmy.

FYI ­ the information presented by Allen was written by Norm Schultz of the
Boating Associations of Ohio. You can see this posted at a number of sites
including: http://www.bexleymarine.com/news

I also want to share with you a report on Paddlesport Revenues and
Expenditures from the Division of Watercraft (see attached). I will be
sharing this with others who have asked where the money from canoe and kayak
registrations have been spent over the past years.

Thanks again for your leadership on this!
Pam


Pamela S. Dillon, Chief

Division of Watercraft

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

2045 Morse Road, Bldg A3

Columbus, Ohio 43229

Phone: 614-265-6475

Fax: 614-263-4140

www.ohiodnr.gov <http://www.ohiodnr.gov>




-----Original Message-----
From: James Murtha [mailto:jmurtha@...]
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 7:56 PM
To: copboat@yahoogroups.com; Joe Marksz; John Kobak; Whitewater Warehouse;
raberj@...; pat x; deborah avallone
Cc: asasson@...
Subject: Scenic Rivers

Yes Allen that is the issue. For an additional $1.67 annually per
registration the program can be continued. But due to many misconceptions
many hand powered boaters have expressed their opposition.

Many of these misconceptions were addressed in the e-mail forwarded from
Tony Sasson of the Nature Conservancy.

Again funding the Scenic Rivers program from the General Revenue Fund has
not worked - there is not enough income from the designated sources. The
legislature has refused to fund the program over and above the moneys from
Tax Checkoff and license plates and the checkoff moneys have been
decreasing. And now we have a budget crunch under which there is simply no
money with which to fund the program.

Regardless of whether we feel that the program benefits other
constituencies, the legislature and administration do not view the issue
that way. Nor does the general public since it does fund the Natural Areas
and Preserves sufficiently through the checkoff program and does not fund
the Scenic RIvers program. There is no other constituency to which ODNR can
take the program. To be frank I think the legislature, administration, and
public are correct - we benefit the most from the program.

Rightly or wrongly the legislature and administration has also viewed any
negative feedback from the handpowered boating community as a negative
reaction to the Scenic Rivers Program itself. It again goes back to their
view of the primary beneficiaries.

And therefore we are way beyond the theory as to who should or should not
shoulder the funding for the program. The reality is that if the transfer
and registration fee funding do not occur, the program is dead.

The transfer will have significant benefits some of which are actually
alluded to below. Moreover it finally stabilizes the program's funding and
settles on a constituency to whom the program can and should direct its
efforts. The document that you found below contains another misconception -
Scenic River staff will move from the Natural Areas to the Watercraft
Division and the program will have the same staff with the same expertise
and responsibilities.

The comments in the document you found indicate the program is valuable. If
the boating community believes the program is valuable, if we care about the
program, if we want to continue to receive its benefits, we need to contact
our legislators and express our positive support of the program and the
transfer in any way possible. It is indeed that simple. Thanks much....


A couple of post scripts:
There also seems to be a misconception that the licenses we are required to
purchase for our boats is the brainchild of ODNR. The requirement comes
from the General Assembly by way of the Ohio Revised Code.

Also the current $4 fee for the special hand powered registration is used
only for programs applicable to hand powered boating. COP has been the
recipient of grants arising from those moneys. All of those moneys have
come back to our boating community.


On 4/2/09 7:11 PM, "Allen" <banks2070@...> wrote:



That really is the worry..will they drop the funding all together? If that's
the case it's a no brainer.

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Krall
To: copboat@yahoogroups.com <mailto:copboat%40yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 6:09 PM
Subject: Re: [copboat] Re: Two sides to the issue

Debates are so much more fun!

There are indications that the state politicos are ready to say this is an
either or situation:
Either continue the program with the Division of Watercraft
or
Loose the program, because their is no other money and programs cost.

Do we want to bet on loosing the whole program and many of our favorite
streams.
If you want Forestry, Soil and Water, Wildlife to take it how are they
going to fund it? Not out of the General Fund. At least they are giving
Watercraft a way to fund this mandate.

Continue the dialog, I have learned a lot from Allen and Tony Sasson's
thoughts.
Thanks

--- On Thu, 4/2/09, ron_metzger <ron_metzger@...
<mailto:ron_metzger%40yahoo.com> > wrote:

From: ron_metzger <ron_metzger@... <mailto:ron_metzger%40yahoo.com> >
Subject: [copboat] Re: Two sides to the issue
To: copboat@yahoogroups.com <mailto:copboat%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009, 5:15 PM

Allen, I'd say your message is very well stated. It would be interesting to
know the real drivers (and political supporters) which allowed this program
to become defunded while others continue to recieve their allocation.

--- In copboat@yahoogroups .com, "Allen" <banks2070@. ..> wrote:
>
> There seems to be two strong sides to this issue about transfer to the
Division of Watercraft. Here are a few facts to why this may not be a good
thing. It appears to me that one could take the side of conservation over
access. It depends on where your loyalties lie I suppose. I've got no dog in
this fight but think it's important to be educated on all sides on a very
important topic.
> Allen Banks
>
> What all Ohio Boaters & all Concerned about River Preservation Should
Know
> (Ref. H.B. #1) The proposed transfer by ODNR of the Scenic Rivers program
from the Division of Natural Areas & Preserves to the Ohio Division of
Watercraft should NOT be approved by the General Assembly:
> 1.This proposal assumes that, because the Scenic Rivers program deals
with rivers & streams, it's a natural fit in the Division of Watercraft. It
is not! This assumption is wrong for the following reasons:
> * The Division of Watercraft was created to administer and enforce laws
regarding the identification, numbering, titling, use and operations of all
watercraft ON Ohio's waters and inform citizens about navigation, boating
safety and conservation practices ON the waterways.
> The Scenic Rivers program is an excellent preservation program focused on
the acquisition, administration and maintenance of land areas and
reforestation along with studies of stream biota, flora and fauna education.
> * The Division of Watercraft is a model user-pay, user-benefit program
funded solely through the Waterways Safety Fund by boat registrations, boat
gas tax revenue and federal boating safety grants. It receives no General
Revenue Funds GRF).
>
> The Scenic Rivers program is currently and correctly funded by the GRF
because stream and adjacent land preservation is a general benefit to all
Ohioans. Transferring Scenic Rivers to the Division of Watercraft will, in
effect, single out Ohio's boating families to pay for an unrelated program
just to reduce the GRF budget.
> * The Division of Watercraft has told boating organizations that, if
transferred, the Scenic Rivers program will be reconfigured into a "boating
program." This will include more access sites and the development of picnic
areas and more landings which boaters are expected to demand since they'll
be paying for the program.
>
> The Scenic Rivers program is not about boating and never has been. It is
about preserving and restoring. In many respects these are opposites ­ one
wanting more access and activity while the other supporting limited use to
preserve natural quality.
> * The Division of Watercraft does not own, control or have maintenance
responsibilities for any land areas, natural preserves or conservation
easements. Its charge is law enforcement and safety on Ohio's navigable
waterways.
>
> The Scenic Rivers program currently has responsibilities for nearly 5000
acres of forested property, land buffer real estate and conservation
easements. While all lands are owned by ODNR, the administrative
responsibilities for these lands are placed in the various Divisions.
Accordingly, the administration, acquisition and maintenance
responsibilities for large Scenic Rivers land areas has never been, nor
should it be, in the scope of the Division of Watercraft's administration,
its officers or its operations.
> * The Division of Watercraft is an advocate for and charged with
responsibilities for increasing waterways access and has an active
facilities grant program from the Waterways Safety Fund to accomplish more
access. Access is among the highest priorities in Watercraft's Strategic
Plan.
>
> The Scenic Rivers program is a successful preservation program that
historically advocates restricted uses, limited access and deals with
land-use conflicts on adjacent real estate to maintain or improve natural
qualities in the area.
>
> The Scenic Rivers program is a valuable program. It should properly
continue to be funded by the GRF in the Division of Natural Areas &
Preserves. If an alternative is necessary, Scenic Rivers is far more attuned
to other ODNR Divisions including: The Division of Soil & Water Conservation
which already provides conservation assistance on more than 20 million acres
and 40 watershed action plans; The Division of Forestry which already
manages199,000 acres in 20 state forests; or The Division of Wildlife which
already manages over three-quarters of a million acres of lands throughout
the state, and is also concerned with stream biota and fish populations.
>

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