What We're Working On - A Brief Update on Key Boating Issues

Here’s a quick update on some of the key issues RBOC’s is working on:

• Engaging with the various state and regional agencies as they take action to prevent the infestation of water bodies by the golden mussel, often imposing restrictions and prohibitions on all on-the-water activities.

• Advocating for legislation establishing an extended producer responsibility program for pyrotechnic marine flares to acknowledge that there is only one manufacturer and so that the take-back requirements are structured to ensure that the costs of implementation do not place an unreasonable burden on boaters.

• Opposing the Delta Conveyance Project that, as revised to one tunnel, would still significantly impede navigation and harm Delta recreation.

• Advocating for updates and efficiencies to state programs financed by boat registration fees to ensure they provide positive benefits to boaters and share costs with other stakeholders where appropriate – prior to an increase in boat registration fees.

• Supporting legislation to review the effectiveness of low-leach-rate paint and elevated copper concentrations in saltwater harbors, bays, and marinas that are primarily a result of the use of copper-based antifouling paint, and to determine the best methods to address elevated copper concentrations in saltwater harbors, bays, and marinas that are primarily a result of the use of this paint in the state.

• Requesting that the Outdoor Recreation for All [30x30] program identify the values of, and prioritize on-the-water opportunities within its initiatives. Clear confirmation should also be provided that the significant areas of water that have been protected over the years, including the marine life protected areas [MLPAs] count towards the 30% preservation goal.

• Raising concerns that the state’s authorization of E15 fuel will raise prices on E10 gasoline, will restrict the availability of that fuel, and will inevitably ruin many boat engines.

RBOC Directors to Lobby Boating Issues in Sacramento on March 18

Members of RBOC’s voluntary board of directors will be in Sacramento on March 18 to lobby in the State Capitol on the key 2025 issues impacting California boaters.

Members of the RBOC Board of Directors take a pause during the organization’s 2024 Legislative Day in Sacramento.

Legislation has been introduced to assist boaters who have applied low-leach-rate copper-based anti-fouling paints to their boat hulls, to require the manufacturer of pyrotechnic marine flares to create a take-back program for expired flares, to accelerate the state approval of E15 gasoline; to inventory abandoned and derelict vessels in the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta, and more.

Also top of mind for the meetings and discussions with policy-makers: the structural deficit in the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund, the Delta Conveyance, increasing boat slip rates, the Outdoor Recreation for All initiative, and offshore wind energy development.

RBOC Urging Governor to Incorporate Boating Community Input into the Budget

As preparations are made for the January release of your proposed state budget for fiscal year 2025-2026, RBOC together with several other organizations collectively representing California’s boaters and boating industry are urging Governor Newsom and legislative leaders to consider and include the recommendations that were developed by the Division of Boating and Waterways [DBW] in State Parks through a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process.

In addition to RBOC, groups joining in the request include our national advocacy partner BoatUS, California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference, Coastal Conservation Association of California, Marine Recreation Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association, and Southern California Yachting Association.

DBW created three ad hoc subcommittees in November 2021 on Revenue Generation, Program Development and Alternative Funding Sources, each chaired by a Boating and Waterways Commission member, staffed by DBW, with stakeholder participation. Each met several times through 2022 and developed recommendations that were submitted to DBW and State Parks on November 17, 2022. The stakeholders participated in a two-year effort and submitted our joint recommendations in writing during this process.

The key expectation was that adoption of the recommendations would reduce costs and increase revenues, thereby reducing or eliminating any increase in the boater registration fees. In January of 2021 the proposal was to raise the fees from $20 to $70 every 2 years. Subsequent proposals called for even more of an increase, from $20 to $80 every 2 years.

We remain concerned that the stakeholder engagement has not continued, that the submitted recommendations have not been implemented, that the projected structural deficit in the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund will remain, and that a proposed Administration solution will be a significant boat registration fee increase that is not supported by the boating community.   

The net effect would be the creation of a financial barrier to healthy on-the-water opportunities for the average California boat owner, whose boat is under 25 feet in length, and even more so for individuals in disadvantaged communities or on fixed incomes.

The average boat owner in California has an income of less than $70,000 per year, among those who are least able to afford the significant 300% increases in their registration fees.  In California, the state collects use/sales tax on the purchase of a boat and annual unsecured property tax on the boat. A significant registration fee increase will essentially make boating an activity that the average Californian family cannot afford.

The number of registered vessels in California has already been decreasing. Several years ago, California ranked third in the number of registered boats by state, today the state is fifth. Local assessors have been drastically increasing the assessed value of vessels for local property tax purposes, regardless of their age. Boaters are being required to spend more money on less effective hull paints.

The hardship of quadrupling fees coupled with severely increased fuel costs would also decrease tax revenue from boaters that fuel boats and the vehicles that tow them off the water, impact on the water or walkable restaurants accessed by boats, shopping by boaters who buy boating and camping equipment, and pay for repairs. This is in addition to the day use and launch ramp fees boaters pay at State Parks. Our communities would pay less fees for fishing and hunting, and fewer launches would decrease launch fees collected and place more hardships on marina owners. 

For these reasons, we reaffirm our support for the attached recommendations that were submitted by the three subcommittees on Alternative Funding, Revenue Generation and Program Development.

RBOC Lobbies California Legislators on Key 2024 Issues

Members of the RBOC Board of Directors met with their representatives in the State Legislature on March 12 to advocate the interests of the state’s recreational boaters on proposals ranging from boat fuel taxes and registration fees, outdoor on-the-water opportunities, marine flares, offshore wind energy, and polystyrene buoys, docks, and piers. This action-packed day is a key component of RBOC’s ongoing engagement in the State Capitol.

For RBOC’s Key Issue Update - click here

RBOC Officers and Directors “Hitting the Hill” in Sacramento

California Boating Congress to be held March 12 & 13 in Sacramento

RBOC is co-hosting and participating in this year’s California Boating Congress in Sacramento - boaters are encouraged to attend!

Registration is now open for the 8th Annual California Boating Congress.  The Legislative Reception kicks off the event on March 12 followed by the one-day policy conference on March 13 just steps away from California's State Capitol in Sacramento. 

State Treasurer Fiona Ma will open the conference on March 13 to discuss programs the State of California offers that can benefit marinas, boating, and water recreation. Attendees will then hear from state legislators and top regulators on issues like insurance, California Air Resources Board regulations, and an economic outlook for the state’s marine and waterways industry.

Our industry’s voice is needed now more than ever in California.  Join us for the California Boating Congress to help shape legislation and regulations that are facing you and your business

Boat Registration Fee Increase Update

RBOC is pleased to report that the efforts of thousands of individual boaters, the boating community and industry, and our national advocacy partner BoatUS have saved California boaters from paying $60 more in state boat registration fees that would have begun July 1 of this year.

The legislation establishing California’s 2023-2024 fiscal year budget did not resolve the ongoing $20 million annual deficiency in the Division of Boating and Waterways’ Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund. The issue has not been finally resolved and the issue will be revisited in 2024 when the Legislature convenes the second year of the 2023-2024 legislative session.

What our National Advocacy Partner BoatU.S. has to say about us....

California ranks 4th when it comes to registered boats among our 50 states. Luckily Golden State boaters have a strong voice thanks to their regional advocacy group, a BoatU.S. partner.

Read the article “The Recreational Boaters of California: Advocates since 1968” in the June edition of BoatUS Magazine: click here

The San Diego skyline on San Diego Bay. California is a perennial Top 5 state for pleasure boats with 645,951 registered in 2020. 

RBOC is co-hosting California Boating Congress April 11 & 12 Sacramento

RBOC is once-again co-hosting this year’s California Boating Congress that will be held April 11 & 12, 2023 in Sacramento.

This an annual event where the marine industry and boating community come to Sacramento to advocate on shared issues affecting this important part of our state’s economy and culture.

To register this year’s event: click here

There will be government and industry speakers in the morning and afternoon sessions of April 12 with a number of key legislators who have interest in our issues.

RBOC Begins 2023 Efforts with Focus on Advocacy

The mission of the statewide boating advocacy organization - a 53-year tradition of advocating for the state’s boaters.

RBOC 2023 President Debrenia Madison Smith convenes the organization’s annual meeting with a reference to the mission of the nonprofit advocacy group to advocate for the state’s recreational boating public.

250% Boat Registration Fee Hike - Prevented for Now

RBOC appreciates the action taken by Governor Newsom and the State Legislature to remove a proposed 250% increase in boat registration fees from the state budget in response to the serious concerns raised by RBOC, our national advocacy partner BoatU.S., and boating associations including the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association, Southern California Yachting Association, Marine Recreation Association, California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains, California Yacht Brokers Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains, thousands of California boaters who took action, and several other allied organizations.

"This is the right decision for boaters," responded RBOC President Winston Bumpus. "The further we look into the many different pots where boater-generated fuel tax dollars are placed, the more questions boaters have identified about the fairness of a registration fee increase."

Continued Bumpus: "For instance, boaters pay $107 million each year in fuel taxes to the state, yet only $15 million [14%] is provided to the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund [HWRF] for a number of programs and services including boater education and operator certification, safety and enforcement on the waterways, boating facilities, removal of abandoned and derelict watercraft, and efforts to combat invasive species."

Added David B. Kennedy with BoatU.S. Government Affairs: "This is a great demonstration of the benefits of boaters engaging on issues that matter to their boating. Working with RBOC, over 4,000 messages were sent by BoatU.S. members to the legislature and governor. It's clear their voices were heard."

The final state budget action allocates state general fund dollars to the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund [HWRF] administered by the Division of Boating and Waterways [DBW] for a variety of programs and services that benefit boaters.

RBOC and others will participate in a public stakeholder process DBW will initiate in the near future to develop recommendations to the Legislature for long-term solutions to the deficiencies that DBW and State Parks state that the HWRF is experiencing. Boat registration fees will be part of that conversation, together with efficiencies and improvements to existing programs and revisions to better serve the boating public.

RBOC, BoatUS Yield Results for Boaters in California Budget Negotiations

Boaters speak up for a responsible boat registration fee increase,
funds for AIS prevention and recreational facilities

The voices of recreational boaters, more than 4,000 strong who recently contacted their California state legislators and governor’s office asking for a more responsible and fair boat registration fee increase, have been heard.

During recent budget negotiations, RBOC, our advocacy partner Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), and a coalition of additional stakeholders won hard-earned concessions that save Golden State boaters money, leads to a path that more equitably funds Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) programs and beach replenishment efforts, and supports funding for construction, maintenance and operations of public recreation facilities at state water projects.

"We appreciate the support from our partner BoatUS, as well as our coalition partners and the boating community to make the boater's perspective heard in Sacramento.", said Winston Bumpus. RBOC President.

“Advocacy works,” said BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “Legislators clearly listened, and we thank them for understanding our needs.”

At issue was a budget proposal on the table for a 250% boat registration fee increase. RBOC/ BoatUS worked to reduce the increase to 100%, which now increases the cost of a two-year California recreational boat registration from $20 to $40.

Also at stake was the California State Parks’ critical Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund (HWRF), which supports the state’s AIS efforts as well as boating infrastructure and programs such as launch ramp construction, maintenance, and repair; boating safety; registration; and enforcement programs. As recently as 2019, the HWRF had teetered on insolvency. RBOC and BoatU.S. were able to take a proposed two-year, $20 million spending level and increase it by $10.7 million for the next four years, totaling more than $60 million in HWRF funding, adding stability to the fund.

The state had also been raiding HWRF for beach restoration. “It makes no sense for boaters to carry the burden of beach replenishment for the entire state, and we are glad legislators agreed with us by including a provision that would suspend transfers of HWRF funds to the public beach restoration fund,” added Kennedy.

State legislators are expected to vote on the budget by early June.

RBOC Advocating for Key Changes in Response to Proposed 250% Vessel Registration Fee Increase

RBOC and a number of additional boating community organizations are advocating for key revisions to Governor Newsom’s proposed 250% vessel registration fee increase that would take effect on July 1.

California boaters would see their boat registration fees increase from a minimum of $20 every two years to at least $70 every two years as soon as July 1 if the Governor’s state budget proposal is enacted.

Budget subcommittees in the state Senate and Assembly are discussing this proposal now, and are anticipated to decide on the issue in the next few weeks. as the state budget development process moves forward in the state capitol. RBOC leaders and advocate are lobbying and testifying.

For the February 16 joint boating community letter to the Legislature on this issue: click here

More information:

The Governor’s proposed state budget for the Division of Boating and Waterways [DBW] proposes adjustments to the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund [HWRF].  

The HWRF receives no monies from the state’s General Fund.

It is comprised of boat fuel tax dollars, registration fees, federal monies, and interest payments on loans from the HWRF..

The HWRF support several programs and services that benefit boaters including infrastructure such as launch ramps, education, aquatic centers, local boating law enforcement, the boater certification card, and invasive species prevention and control.

The Governor’s proposal includes an increase in the minimum amount of vessel registration fees, from $20 every two years to $70 every two years, effective July 1. 

This proposed registration fee increase is being considered as the state increasingly dedicates boater fuel tax dollars to the state parks system. and not to the HWRF. This started decades ago, and now totals $107 million each year.

In contrast, only $15 million [14%] of the fuel taxes paid by boaters are placed in the HWRF for the programs and services that directly benefit boaters. 

It is also important to acknowledge that:

• The owners and operators of more than 640,000 registered vessels in California also pay a very significant amount of property taxes to the counties.

• The proposed 250% registration fee increase would extract an additional $20 million from California boaters - most of whom earn under $100K per year and 95% of whom own a small boat that is 26 feet long and smaller. 

• The fee increase be levied during this unprecedented pandemic when individuals are finding outdoor on-the-water recreation to be a safe and enjoyable activity providing significant mental and physical benefits.

• The HWRF also supports programs that are of little or no benefit to boaters including beach restoration.

RBOC, together with other boating organizations, is urging legislators to take one or more of the following actions:

• Reduce the amount of the proposed increase to an amount significantly less than 250%.

• Re-direct a small, yet reasonable portion of the $107 million in annual boat fuel tax dollars to the HWRF.

• Permanently eliminate the authority for HWRF funds to be utilized for beach erosion control.

• Establish an equitable funding structure for the invasive species program that includes other beneficiaries with a proportional financial framework.

• Establish in statute the stakeholder process to be undertaken over the next few years to develop long-term funding approaches to the HWRF.

• Add to the Boating and Waterways Commission’s statutory authority the responsibility to approve loans and grants from the HWRF.

The thought is that, taken together, these actions would provide the state’s boating community with an affirmation that the State of California is taking a balanced, reasonable approach, with increased transparency, to address boating revenues in a manner that respects the proper use of those funds for boating programs and services that directly benefit the boating public.

RBOC President Cleve Hardaker Urges Coastal Commission to Protect Navigation in Kelp Bed Proposal

RBOC President Cleve Hardaker has submitted the organization’s formal comments to the California Coastal Commission, urging the Commission to modify the East San Pedro Bay Habitat Enhancement to minimize the potential danger presented by placing kelp forest in the vicinity of a busy recreational harbor approach.

RBOC’s formal comments follow below. To take action: click here

Dear California Coastal Commissioners,

Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) is the nonprofit advocacy organization that works to protect and enhance the interests of the state’s recreational boaters before the legislative and executive branches of state and local government.

RBOC is in its 52nd year as a statewide organization promoting the enjoyment, protection, and responsible use of our waterways.

While RBOC supports the concept of the USACE East San Pedro Bay Habitat Enhancement some of its elements cause serious misgivings.

Specifically, the construction of kelp beds close to the Alamitos Bay entrance channel.

Kelp beds outside the Long Beach breakwater seem entirely appropriate and we envision minimal negative results from such construction.

Kelp beds constructed in the vicinity of the very busy Alamitos Bay entrance will present serious hazards to the many recreational boaters and fishermen coming and going at all times of the day.

Alamitos Bay is home to a large number of boats that come and go regularly.

However, many boaters and fishermen from all up and down the coast frequently enter the harbor and are likely to refer to Navigation Charts for guidance since they may not be familiar with those waters.

Current navigation Charts of Long Beach Harbor do not show any kelp beds in the area.

Navigation Charts always show kelp beds where they occur and identify them as a danger for mariners.

'the potential exists for recreational boaters who traverse over kelp forests to get their propeller blades caught in the kelp at the ocean surface'

The risk described here minimizes the degree of danger presented to boats under power.

Kelp consists of long, strong strands that can easily become wrapped in a boats propeller and can even cause engines to stall, rendering the boat disabled.

In extreme situations, thick kelp can become tightly wrapped around a propeller shaft and pull the shaft away from the transmission leaving a large hole in the hull to allow water ingress.

The proposal mentions that:

‘Kelp bed placement would be localized in clusters identifiable to boaters.

Pathways for boats to avoid kelp ... have been included in the design to ensure boaters have adequate open water space.'

While it is possible that local mariners may become familiar with the location of kelp beds in the area of a harbor entrance and avoid them, visiting sailors and fishermen will have no way to know where these hazards are located.

Kelp forest is not static. It grows and spreads, often in unpredictable directions.

And even local boaters may be arriving or leaving the harbor in hours of darkness or in heavy fog that is not an uncommon occurrence. It would not be easy to identify kelp beds in such conditions. Stormy weather that drives sailors to seek refuge in a safe harbor also make it impossible to identify kelp forests and the peril of a stalled engine while approaching a rocky breakwater is extreme.

RBOC, therefore, urges the Commission to review this proposal carefully and consider modifying it to minimize the potential danger presented by placing kelp forest in the vicinity of a busy recreational harbor approach.

To illustrate the significance of harbor approaches, I have copied the directions for mariners entering the harbor:

The Alamitos Bay entrance is marked by two stone jetties which enter the bay in a NNE direction.

On the Western jetty Is a 25 foot, 6 second green flashing light, also with a foghorn.

The entrance is located approximately 030 degrees magnetic at 1.1 5 miles from the East end of the Long Beach Breakwater; and approximately 285 degrees magnetic at 1.1 miles from the Anaheim Bay (Huntington Harbor) channel entrance.

Take care when entering Alamitos Bay that you identify both stone jetties.

One to port and one to starboard. The San Gabriel River sits directly on the Southeast side of the Eastern jetty. It becomes extremely shallow quickly, and its bottom is dotted with wrecks and rocky shoals.

Therefore, enter Alamitos Bay only when you can identify jetties within 100 yards on both sides of your boat.

The Alamitos Bay Channel is marked with a series of centerline buoys.

Stay to starboard of this row when traveling in either direction.

Also be aware that a silt pumping barge sometimes sits in the channel to clear out shoal areas. It is well marked with round yellow cans.

Stay more then 20 feet from these cans, as they are usually attached to The dredging hose hanging below the surface.

The speed limit throughout Alamitos Bay , including the entrance channel, is 5 m.p.h., strictly enforced by the Long Beach Marine Bureau patrol boats.

Cleve Hardaker, President RBOC

AB 3030 Held in Senate Appropriations Committee

The Senate Appropriations Committee today held AB 3030 [Kalra] “on suspense” with the result that the bill will not move forward this year.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the united efforts of boating, fishing and hunting groups to advocate on this measure. Our communities urged that amendments be made to AB 3030 to specifically acknowledge the extent and impacts of existing protections of the state’s waters.

RBOC will remain vigilant during the remaining days of the 2019-2020 session of the California State Legislature in case some other effort is made on this issue.

RBOC Urges Inclusion of Boating and Fishing Protections in AB 3030

RBOC testified in the State Capitol again today, this time in the Senate Appropriations Committee, urging that AB 3030 [Kalra] be amended to include critical protections for boating and fishing opportunities in the measure.

RBOC is participating in a unified effort together with our national partner BoatU.S., boating industry associations, and fishing and hunting organizations.

Our communities are urging amendments to AB 3030 to specifically acknowledge the extent and impacts of existing protections of the state’s waters.

Following extensive public testimony, the committee placed AB 3030 “on suspense” due to the projected state costs. The committee plans to announce tomorrow which bills on the suspense list pass through committee and on to the Senate Floor for consideration prior to an August 31 deadline.

RBOC will issue a new call-to-action if the bill passes committee without the essential amendments.

AB 3030 would establish new land, water, and ocean protection goals, including the protection of 30 percent of the state’s land areas and water by 2030.

RBOC & BoatU.S. Urge State to Consider Sound Science Before Adopting Non-point Source Plan

RBOC and BoatU.S. are urging the State Water Resources Control Board to utilize sound science and site-specific testing as the critical path forward, and to resolve key boater concerns, prior to adoption of a proposed Nonpoint Source Program Implementation Plan.

Boating and the boating industry represent a significant recreational resource and an important part of California’s economy. Together, we have been engaged continually over many years to protect the environment as the state and regional boards have addressed impaired water bodies, have developed basin plans, and have developed new standards including anti-fouling paints for boat hulls.

RBOC and BoatU.S. are emphasizing several key points in our request to the State Water Board:

• As stated in our July 10 comments, it is essential that stakeholders be engaged in the consideration of comprehensive plans such as this proposal, especially when they will have significant impacts. To the best of our knowledge, this has not occurred with the current proposal.

• It is critical to boaters that any decisions that restrict or prohibit the use of anti-fouling paints containing copper be predicated on clear findings that alternatives are available, effective and affordable. However, at this time, no single alternative will work, boat paint formulations are constantly changing, and non-biocidal paint safety has not been confirmed.

• Current TMDL models are ineffective as management tools yet adaptations to those models are practically impossible to achieve. Updated science is overlooked.

• The recreational boating community and industry are challenged by the absence of coordination among the regulatory entities including the State Water Board, regional water boards, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation. This impacts numerous issues ranging from the available paints, the models for managing water quality, the appropriate monitoring schemes, and the interconnection among toxicity labs.

• Background levels of copper confound the ability to achieve numerical standards. High background levels of dissolved copper in hydraulically connected waters make achieving the numerical limit impossible.

• The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board should not issue an investigative order and should not develop conditional WDRs for the discharge of biocides from boats residing in marinas until the boating community has a feasible, reasonable and readily-available alternative non-biocidal anti-fouling paints. RBOC and BoatU.S. remain committed to the protection and enhancement of the state’s waterways.

These and other public comments have been prepared and submitted to the State Water Board by a number of stakeholders representing the recreational boating community including boaters, clubs and industry.

RBOC is endorsing and urging consideration of the comments, concerns and requests set forth in the public comments of the Marine Recreation Association comment letter dated July 29, the Moffatt and Nichol Memorandum “Review of Non-copper-based Alternative Antifouling Paints to Support Discussion on Implementation Strategies for Reducing Copper by Boat-Paint Conversions” dated July 29, and the ChemMetrics comment letter dated July 29.

RBOC and BoatU.S. Urge Extended Comment Period, Inclusion of Boaters and Science in Draft Nonpoint Pollution Source Plan

RBOC and its national partner BoatU.S. are urging the State Water Resources Control Board to extend the July 13 public deadline, engage the boating community, and address critical boating issues in the State Board’s Draft 2020-2025 Nonpoint Source Program Implementation Plan.

For a copy of the complete letter: click here

The proposed 2020-2025 Nonpoint Source Program Implementation Plan presents the general goals and objectives of the co-lead state agencies for addressing nonpoint source pollution over the timeframe of July 2020 to June 2025.

It is important to note that the plan is being developed at a unique time for all Californians during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, with stay-at-home orders and other necessarily impacting personal and business activities including recreational boating and our related industries. The protection of public health and safety is paramount, and demands the dedication of resources and effort that limit the ability of the public stakeholders to give the draft the time and attention it deserves. RBOC and BoatUS urge forbearance.

It is also essential that stakeholders be engaged in the consideration of comprehensive plans such as this proposal, especially when they will have significant impacts. To the best of our knowledge, this has not occurred with the current proposal: members of the boating community have not been contacted, boating and boating industry organizations have not been consulted. Individual subscribers to the State Water Board’s email notifications were not notified.

Testing that has been done at a few sites in Southern California indicates no negative impacts on aquatic organisms. Before a policy is implemented in a haphazard patchwork throughout the state, the organizations are requesting a statewide Water Effects Ratio [WER] Policy and a comprehensive plan for site-specific testing so that we can properly evaluate all coastal water bodies in Southern California. This is a goal outlined in the February 2019 Executive Director’s report.

RBOC and  BoatU.S. are also expressing concerns that the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board uses a steady state model that does not use tidal information or basin dimensions to predict environmental copper concentrations. That is the methodology that yields an 85% load reduction for Marina Del Rey. The California Department of Pesticide Regulations [DPR] made regulatory decisions based on Predicted Environmental Concentrations of Copper using the MAMPEC model. As a result, DPR has approved anti-fouling paints containing low-leach-rate copper that they expect to achieve a sufficient copper load reduction.

These disparate approaches yield predictions that differ more than 300% from one another causing uncertainty for boaters and marina operators. We need a statewide Water Effects Ratio (WER) Policy and a comprehensive plan for site-specific testing.

Additional issues have been preliminarily identified. For instance, throughout the plan, objectives and milestones identify specific dates that are overly ambitious and, in today’s pandemic, unachievable.

RBOC and BoatU.S. remain committed to the protection and enhancement of the state’s waterways. Sound science and site-specific testing are the critical path forward.

Boater-Funded HWRF Reform Not Included in May Budget Revise

RBOC is pleased that the Governor’s May Budget Revise announced today for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1 does not include feared revisions to the state Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund [HWRF] to address stated deficiencies before critical questions are addressed.

We anticipate that this issue will continue to be discussed with the boating community and could be suggested again in either the January 2021 proposal or May 2021 May revise for the state budget for the next fiscal year that will begin on July 1, 2021.

California’s boating community including RBOC and numerous boating industry associations submitted a joint letter on May 4 requesting essential information before fund deficiency solutions are advanced. proposal for the state fiscal year that will commence on July 1, of this year. For more details, see our May 4 post below.

California's Boating Community Requests Essential Information From State Parks Before Fund Deficiency Solutions are Advanced

California’s boating community, comprised of boaters and the boating industry, and as represented by a number of organizations, is quite concerned that the California Department of Parks and Recreation [State Parks] may move forward this year with one or more proposals to revise the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund [HWRF] in a process and with substantive provisions that could be detrimental to the state’s boating community.

Boating stakeholders are being informed that there is a deficiency in the HWRF and that significant revisions are being considered to the boating programs and services that it funds, as well as the sources or amounts of revenues paid into the fund.

To date, we have received no specifics regarding any proposals despite a Constitutional deadline for a completed budget of June 15th. We are concerned that action could be taken in the very near future in conjunction with the release of the Governor’s May Budget Revise, with an accelerated calendar for consideration and adoption of the upcoming state budget for the fiscal year that commences on July 1.

In order to help us engage to the best and most robust way possible, our communities have specific questions about the HWRF and expenditures by the Division of Boating and Waterways [DBW]. While we have received some feedback, we have not received the specific information that has been requested by a number of individuals and organizations both formally in public testimony, and informally in meetings and conversations.

It is critical that this state’s boating stakeholders have accurate information that is essential to our consideration of any proposed revisions. There are approximately 800,000 registered boats in California, and a vibrant $17 billion dollar per year industry. The many forms of boating provide enjoyable, healthy and popular recreational opportunities throughout the state.

The organizations signing onto the letter are [in alphabetical order]:

• American Sportfishing Association

• BoatU.S.

• California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains

• California Striped Bass Association

• California Yacht Brokers Association

• Coastside Fishing Club

• Marine Recreation Association

• National Marine Manufacturers Association

• Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association

• Pacific-Inter Club Yacht Association

• Recreational Boaters of California

• Southern California Yachting Association

• The California State Sheriff’s Boat and Watercraft Safety Committee

For a copy of the boating community letter: click here

RBOC Supporting "Fix-It Ticket" Legislation

RBOC supporting SB 904 [Monning] that would establish fix-it tickets for certain boating offenses including:

• Failure to have the boater card

• Failure to have the vessel identification number displayed

• Failure to have a vessel registration sticker applied Failure to have a personal flotation device[s]

• Failure to have fire extinguishers and their markings

Take Action – contact Senator Monning and let him know you support SB 904: click here