Another US national park opens to PWC<br /><br />By IBI Magazine/Michael Verdon<br /><br /><br />The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in the states of Montana and Wyoming has opened its waters to personal watercraft after three years. The park, after an environmental impact study, found in favour of PWC access. <br /><br />Bighorn is the seventh national park that has completed scientific studies since the National Park Service banned them in 21 parks in 2002. Six other units are in the final stages of the rulemaking process to re-allow the vessels. <br /><br />"Today another national park that has put personal watercraft to the test has reaffirmed that these boats are among the cleanest and quietest on the water," said Maureen Healey, executive director of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) in a statement. "In every instance 15 to date where an environmental assessment has measured the impact of PWC on a body of water where motorized boating is permitted, the study concludes that PWC use should be allowed."<br /><br />Healey said that the Bluewater Network, an "extreme anti-boating group," is responsible for the bans. She added that the action is "costing the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, perhaps more, because it has singlehandedly forced the National Park Service to conduct these assessments in order to review the ban." <br /><br />The personal watercraft industry has long maintained that the new generation of more environmentally friendly personal watercraft meet EPA emissions requirements and do no more harm to the environment than any motorized boat. <br /><br />(2 June 2005)
