Update on VT Natural Resources Website

The proposed rules (a) provide a definition of "disturbing wake" in Use of Public Waters Rule 5.2; (b) prohibit personal watercraft (jetskis) and "disturbing wakes" caused by motorboats on Holland Pond; (c) prohibit waterskiing in the Retreat Meadows Basin of the West River; and (d) prohibit "disturbing wakes" on Somerset Reservoir.

The Panel has proposed this rule for the purpose of receiving public comment. The Panel will decide whether or not to adopt the proposed rule only after carefully considering all public comments received at the public hearings scheduled for this matter and in writing. In evaluating the proposed rules and related public comments, the Panel will be guided by section 2 of the current Vermont Use of Public Waters Rules and 10 V.S.A. § 1424. The Panel’s decision will be in writing. Copies of the decision will be posted on this web site and will be mailed to all persons on the Panel’s distribution list for this matter and to any additional persons who attend the public hearing, who file written comments with a mailing address, or who otherwise indicate that they would like to receive a copy.

Part of how they will evaluate Leavens' petition, from http://www.nrb.state.vt.us/wrp/publications/upw2007.pdf:

2.2 In evaluating petitions and associated public comments, the following factors, at a minimum, will be considered: the size and flow of navigable waters, the predominant use of adjacent lands, the depth of the water, the predominant use of the waters prior to regulation, the uses for which the water is adaptable, the availability of fishing, boating, and bathing facilities, and the scenic beauty and recreational uses of the area.

The public waters will be managed so that the various uses may be enjoyed in a reasonable manner, considering safety and the best interests of both current and future generations of citizens of the state and the need to provide an appropriate mix of waterbased recreational opportunities on a regional and statewide basis.

2.3 In evaluating normal recreational and other uses, the following uses will be among those considered: fishing, swimming, boating, waterskiing, fish and wildlife habitat, wildlife observation, the enjoyment of aesthetic values, quiet solitude of the water body, and other water-based activities.