COALITION FILES PETITION WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; "BRING PERSONAL WATERCRAFT BACK TO BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK"

Contacts:

• Jack Welch, Volunteer Consultant, BlueRibbon Coalition
  • Phone: (303) 279-8436 or Cell (303) 324-7185
  • Fax: (303) 279-8214
  • Email: brjack_w@sharetrails.org
  • Webpage: http://www.sharetrails.org/staff/#JackW
• Brian Hawthorne, BRC Public Lands Policy Director
  • Phone: 208-237-1008 (x102)
  • Fax: 208-237-9424
  • Email: brbrian@sharetrails.org
  • Webpage: http://www.sharetrails.org/staff/#BrianH

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE BLUERIBBON COALITION CALLS FOR ACTION ON A JOINT CAMPAIGN TO REGAIN PWC ACCESS IN BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK IN MIAMI, FLORIDA.

Today, at a news conference held in Miami, Florida, the BlueRibbon Coalition joined with the American Watercraft Association (AWA), the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA), the Florida Water Access Coalition, local dealers and local enthusiasts to announce the formation of a new coalition to begin an effort aimed at bringing personal watercraft back to Biscayne National Park.

Biscayne National Park is the largest water-based National Park in the National Park Service system and a spectacular boating site. Located south of Miami, Florida, it offers a vast 300 square miles of sheltered bays that are capable of supporting multiple recreational activities, including PWC use. Yet, since 1998, PWC use has been prohibited in the park. There is no basis for this ban. The National Park Service has never evaluated the impact of PWC use in the Biscayne Park!

The PWC ban at Biscayne should be lifted and PWC use should be reinstated in all areas in which other forms of motorized boating are allowed.

BlueRibbon, along with the other organizations involved, will petition the National Park Service to reauthorize PWC use in Biscayne Park and to initiate rule-making proceedings that will create reasonable regulations for PWC access to the Park.

At the press conference, BlueRibbon President Jack Welch stated, "BlueRibbon believes that PWCs would provide an additional way to experience the magnificent natural features of Biscayne National Park, just like other motorized boats do today." Welch continued, "In July I visited Biscayne National Park by jet boat and clearly PWCs should be allowed!"

For additional information on the "Case for Personal Watercraft Use at Biscayne National Park" CLICK HERE: http://www.boatbiscayne.com for lots of great information.

The petitioning process to regain PWC access to Biscayne National Park started today August 18, 2004. To help support the petition please go to our ACTION ALERT website at: http://capwiz.com/share/issues/alert/?alertid=6269751 and send a letter supporting the petitioning process.

For additional updates on our progress to regain PWC access to Biscayne National Park visit the BlueRibbon Website of http://www.sharetrails.org