Point Reyes Light - September 30, 1999

Environmental Action Committee blasts new rules on Jet Skis

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to publish final regulations on the use of Jet Skis within the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary by Jan. 5.

The court order gives the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin an unexpected victory in its long-fought battle to ban Jet Skis from the Gulf of Farallones.

The EAC had feared the judge would peremptorily throw out their lawsuit, but instead Magistrate James Larson said federal agencies with jurisdiction over the sanctuary must immediately take action on EAC's petition to ban Jet Skis from West Marin waters.

EAC began its campaign to ban Jet Skis from the Gulf of the Farallones more than three years ago. Since then, the Point Reyes National Seashore and county supervisors have both acted to restrict Jet Ski use in West Marin.

Although NOAA in April released draft regulations restricting Jet Ski use in the Gulf of the Farallones, EAC filed its lawsuit to compel federal authorities to finish what they started, explained EAC executive director Catherine Caufield.

"They could sit on their proposed regulations for another year or two," she said. "We won't be satisfied until we have definite regulations. We want to see some action on this."

If adopted, the draft regulations would ban personal watercraft from operating within a half mile of shore, including the mouth of Tomales Bay, Bolinas Lagoon, and in the esteros. EAC, however, still wants a complete ban within the marine sanctuary.

"We thought the draft regulations were unrealistic and unworkable," Caufield said. "There's this weird, invisible boundary that Jet Skis have to stay out of. It's unenforceable."

EAC's petition enjoys widespread support in West Marin. At a public hearing two years ago, about 40 local residents argued that Jet Skis were incompatible with the marine sanctuary's mission to offer refuge to wildlife and tranquillity to visitors.

At that time, sanctuary manager Ed Ueber predicted that federal regulations would be in place within 10 months.

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