COALITION OF CONNECTICUT SPORTSM

COALITION OF CONNECTICUT SPORTSMEN

P.O. Box 2506, Hartford, CT 06146, (203) 245-8076

Testimony presented to the ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE, March 10, 2008

IN OPPOSITION to HB 5828 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING CANDLEWOOD LAKE BOAT USE PERMITS.

by Robert T. Crook, Director

Our STRONG OPPOSITION is primarily found in lines 3-5: “no person shall launch, moor or operate and no owner shall permit the launching, mooring or operation of any motorboat or sailboat upon the waters of Candlewood Lake without a permit issued by the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA).” CT public boaters have DEP boat launch ramps at Candlewood paid for by user fees, federal funds and are open to the public. This language prohibits DEP allowing the public on OUR ramps to participate in boating, fishing a DEP fish stocked lake, without paying another user fee of $50 for CT residents.

According to CLA, tournament bass fishermen are a major use and enforcement concern, although DEP has placed administrative requirements and severe restrictions on these events. The two public ramps only have parking for 200 (at maximum capacity) and tournaments cannot exceed 50 boats at each ramp to allow for the general public. The current system works and although not satisfying to tournament fishermen, they have learned to live with it. DEP has presented reports concluding there were very few, if any, problems at the ramps or on the water with fisherman.

CLA may have a problem of adequate DEP law enforcement on the lake, but not dissimilar to other activities or areas. We all know that 55 officers cannot adequately police the State. It must be noted that 15 DEP law enforcement positions (Marine Patrol) are paid through the DEP Boating Fund by the public they intend to again charge. The CLA issue is not new, having been addressed for more than a decade. What we have not observed is CLA intensive presence when a decade of previous legislation has requested increased DEP law enforcement positions. To their credit CLA has a local marine patrol.

Establishment of a “new” DEP Boating Fund for the sole benefit of CLA is preposterous (lines 44-55). We have no objection should CLA decide to charge the roughly 5,500 boats moored or docked on Candlewood Lake each summer and establishing their own fund to support local enforcement.

In Summary:

Public boat launch ramps are supported by the users through Registrations/Motorboat Fuel taxes. No fee is acceptable since we’ve already paid the cost.
Public Safety (law enforcement) is a State/local funding issue, thorough taxes, and again we’ve already paid the cost.
200 potential public boats on the lake represents less than 4% of the total.
Is there an element of NIMBY here to restrict the public though fees/penalties?

· What is not needed is establishing a precedent for other lakes.

We urge Rejection.

Thank you.