Chain residents want town to opt out of new wake/shoreline restrictions

Hank Murphy

      Fearing new state regulations governing motorboats and shorelines could disrupt recreational use of the Spread Eagle Chain, several dozen people packed the Florence Community Center on Monday asking the Florence Town Board to “opt out” of a law that takes effect in February 2010.

       The vast majority of people at Monday’s meeting oppose rules set forth in Senate Bill 12, which establishes a slow-no-wake restriction for all motorboats operating within 100 feet of a lake shoreline. Already, personal watercraft operate under a slow-no-wake  restriction within 200 feet of a shoreline. Backers of the legislation say fishermen, swimmers, kayakers and canoeists will benefit from the new rule. Also, they believe the new law will benefit plant and animal life that depend on near-shore ecosystems. The no-wake provision also will reduce erosion of shorelines, supporters of the bill say.

       But Spread Eagle residents who attended Monday’s meeting say the new law will fundamentally alter the recreational boating culture enjoyed for decades by residents of the Spread Eagle Chain. They want the Town Board to exercise a provision in the bill that lets townships opt out of the new restrictions by passing an ordinance.

      SECOLA President Carl Sundberg said members of the association overwhelmingly support opting out.

      SECOLA, he said, strongly supports the environmental health of the Spread Eagle Chain. It also supports responsible use by watercraft and is concerned about safety. The lakes that comprise the chain, he said, have an excellent record on safety. He and others, however, are concerned that the new rules could significantly compress the area where motorboats can operate. Sundberg was especially concerned about channels, through which pass a variety of craft, from canoes to kayaks to fishing boats to motorboats. “Basically, we get along pretty well,” he said.

      He fears, however, that a slow-no-wake restriction would cause more bottlenecks in channels and increase the likelihood of accidents.

       Residents complained about what they see as “a one-size-fits-all” approach to regulating lakes. The Spread Eagle Chain, they argue, has a rich history and culture of boating and water sports. They see no need for new restrictions that threaten that culture.

      Wendy Zambon said she moved from Lake Anna to the chain specifically for boating despite the extra taxes and costs associated with the move. The chain, she said, faces threats – from drought and invasive species – not from boaters.

      “We moved there (the chain) for a reason. We stay there for a reason. We sacrificed for a reason. We’re a boating community,” she said.

      Although most spoke in favor of the opt-out strategy, a couple of people made note of the destructive power of waves, the battering of island shorelines and the churning of shallow lake bottoms. They wondered if compromises could not be found.

      Town Chairman Tim Bomberg and Supervisor Dennis Christian, said they need more information before deciding whether to draft an ordinance exempting the chain from the new law. If the board were to enact an ordinance governing the chain, the town  – not the county or state – would have to enforce it, they said.

      Christian said he wants “definitive answers” about enforcement and liability before he makes a decision.

      “As far as I know, we’re the only township (in Wisconsin) dealing with this,” he said.

      Bomberg said he believes the town will have a decision in place by the middle of April.