Good questions.

We do work in the lakes for a reason - to develop and maintain the fisheries. In order to do that we need specific boats, boats that cannot be used with oars. That is why we are allowed on these waters with motors.

Lakes are decided on a case by case basis. Interestingly the majority of this kind of regulation request comes from the pubic in part due to two factors: noise and pollution.

At our public meetings for regulation changes, we listened to a few different groups that want no motors allowed on two of our lakes: Merrill and Kress. Merrill has a dusk/night fishery involved around certain hatches - float tubers did not want to be getting ran over by big boats motoring to the ramp.

When you have popular lakes like, Goose Lake for instance, you tend to get a lot of traffic. Now, if everyone dropped in a boat with a motor flipped up, there is the possibility of causing some water problems. The Forest Service made this lake an electric motor lake only in part due to pollution concerns. You will find this regulation mostly on smaller waters.

As far as being told to do something, these regulations go through lengthy reviews not only by the Department but by the public. Each rule is brought up in public meetings for discussion. You were obviously not even in this state when some of the regulations came to pass, therefore, you were not a part of those discussions. So, now you are in a position where you are being told to do something because we said so.

It's not really like that though. I hope that you will be involved in upcoming regulation meetings and have a voice. And if there is a reg you don't like, you certainly have the right and ability to propose a change. But it isn't like we are telling you to obey because we said so. The public said so as well, in a lot of instances.

Hope this gives a little more insight for you.

stace