NPS Proposed New Tiered Boating Fee Structure

This is getting to be a weird country. This is an idea so bad it could only have been decided by committee.

In Az your road tags are based on the purchase price and age of your car. For new cars your tags cost a lot, then less every year until it hits the minimum, $40. (I don't love that system either but it seems more fair than this new deal idea) In the new fee scenario on the lake, in theory, you could have an almost worthless piece of rusted old steel junker that's 70 foot long and you've got to pay the premium because of the length? Forever? What a crock!

I've noticed that a lot of boats in the marina don't even buy the annual pass anymore, their stickers are from years ago. Fastidious anal retentive do good citizen types do, Yes.(me included) But a lot of folks don't bother. It's not like there is any enforcement out there anyway!

When was the last time anyone saw a houseboat stopped for anything let alone because a tree cop spotted their expired annual pass in his binoculars? (Tree cop is a term on endearment, just say'n) If they start pulling over super boats to single them out, to shake them down over extra fees, if they start writing tickets it's going to get interesting. (Get the popcorn) If Park Service pisses off an Adonia owner with a citation in a shake down for extra fees he may just go up top, climb in his helicopter and fly right to his senators home and land on his lawn to complain. 😂 I'll bet that this scheme is never implemented or that it goes away quickly. I sure hope so
 
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just more taxation and will do nothing more than make the lake MORE elite -- this move will only hurt the working class.
The owners of the multi million dollar boats will not flinch on this rate hike --- the rest of us will be the ones it hurts.
 
Marina Bum said:
I've noticed that a lot of boats in the marina don't even buy the annual pass anymore, their stickers are from years ago. Fastidious anal retentive do good citizen types do, Yes.(me included) But a lot of folks don't bother. It's not like there is any enforcement out there anyway!
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That's a good point, do the boats that sit in slips and never go through the entry gates pay for annual passes? I bet you are right and they don't which is a big flaw in the NPS plan.
 
DeepVee said:
That's a good point, do the boats that sit in slips and never go through the entry gates pay for annual passes? I bet you are right and they don't which is a big flaw in the NPS plan.
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I asked about that in one of my previous ownership groups and was told that the fee is paid with the moorage and sometimes the decal just isn’t out on the boat.

There is some enforcement of that type of thing as our current boat has been fined two years running for non compliant registration numbers - the space between the UT and the numbers isn’t correct.
 
Ryan said “There is some enforcement of that type of thing as our current boat has been fined two years running for non compliant registration numbers - the space between the UT and the numbers isn’t correct.” Ryan, I can see that you are really worried about that. Sq
 
Ryan said:
I asked about that in one of my previous ownership groups and was told that the fee is paid with the moorage and sometimes the decal just isn’t out on the boat.

There is some enforcement of that type of thing as our current boat has been fined two years running for non compliant registration numbers - the space between the UT and the numbers isn’t correct.
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Sorry to hear that but I'm talking about the Annual Park or Canyon pass for having your boat on the lake, not registration for Utah or Az. That's what is going up drastically based on boat size.
 
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Marina Bum said:
Sorry to hear that but I'm talking about the Annual Park or Canyon pass fir having your boat in the lake, not registration for Utah or Az. That's what is going up drastically based on boat size, sound like park service has some Size Envy!
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We are in fact talking about the same fee.

The comment about the fine was only to support that there are some things that are enforced.
 
DeepVee said:
That's a good point, do the boats that sit in slips and never go through the entry gates pay for annual passes? I bet you are right and they don't which is a big flaw in the NPS plan.
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A lot of timeshares are little more than floating condos (no right or wrong way to enjoy Powell) and rarely or never leave their slip so why would those folks bother with an expensive annual pass, most don't even bother at $50. Many boats that go out don't bother either. Park service could start walking the docks and writing tickets to boats not displaying current pass stickers I guess but short of that this new deal will only encourage people to skip the pass unless there is enforcement. They'll have to start pulling houseboats over with a strong presence and writing fat tickets for boats without passes, they don't do that now.

There is also no current tie between your annual pass sticker and the craft you put it on, no records are kept. That will have to change for this to work or you could just buy a tag for your jet ski and stick it on your houseboat or whatever. Will they start making us buy passes online with our registration numbers printed on them? Will they mail those out to all of us? What will that cost? Will they keep lists of all current owners and make aggressive collection efforts if you don't buy an annual pass annually? Will they hire someone to do that? In my mind all this will prove to be too much to manage for the revenue they'll get in return and the pushback they will get and it will go away. The higher fees will be just another hot button item of the moment they talk about but don't enforce like individuals only being allowed on the lake for three weeks a year or no pinning into rocks or no two stroke jet skis or that rangers will go car to car checking to see who paid their camping fees and ensuring no one is overstaying their day pass at Lone Rock Beach. All of that is rarely enforced either but it's all on the books.
 
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Marina Bum said:
They could always walk the docks and write tickets. A lot if timeshares are floating condos and rarely leave the marina so why would those folks bother with an annual pass, most don't.
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Citations have to be issued to people, not boats, and to an owner at that. Sure there are people on their boats at the docks but most are generally out on the lake or unoccupied at the docks.
 
I have not seen the official proposal so to clarify, these will be fees for boats passing through the gates WHEN they are staffed. For those that have a slip and don't leave it will be able to avoid these fees. They currently do not come around and collect annual fees for boats in slips which makes sense because they are already paying an arm and a leg. The unfortunate money grab will be on boats coming through the gates. Is that correct? Sucks for the many boats stored in dry dock in page and have to get launched and pulled often.
 
jwhite4911 said:
I have not seen the official proposal so to clarify, these will be fees for boats passing through the gates WHEN they are staffed. For those that have a slip and don't leave it will be able to avoid these fees. They currently do not come around and collect annual fees for boats in slips which makes sense because they are already paying an arm and a leg. The unfortunate money grab will be on boats coming through the gates. Is that correct?Sucks for the many boats stored in dry dock in page and have to get launched and pulled often.
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It's interesting to note that if you put your boat in dry storage with Aramark, if it's even a shared boat at Wahweap storage yard, there will be no fees.
I'd guess that Aramark will be greatly benefited if this passes.
There would be zero advantages to storing a boat in town what with the extra fees.
My old boat cost $650.00 each way from Page. From Wahweap storage, it was $114.00 if I remember correctly...
Don't know what the fees are currently. That was 2021 prices.
 
This is absolute theft.

How about enforce the rules you have and responsibly manage with the huge budget they already have.

It’s like all the lazy people that can’t function go into the government then decide that more taxes will fix everything. It won’t.

Ironically the largest 100ft boats get used the least. It’s the 50-75ft timeshares that go out every week that use mroe resources.

But those timeshares are already paying a crap ton in entrance fees, fuel surcharges, and all the other government taxes that go to parks.

In the last couple years we have seen a increase in all fees for our boat. And nothing has got better.

Mike
 
Another thing that really gets me about this Mutli tier tax is that it’s totally unfair.

The idea that because someone can afford more the government can take more from them is absurd and wrong.

I work hard and take huge risk to be successful. It’s not easy and I should not pay higher rates because of my success.

We do a lot of charity and help people often. But that’s my choice. It’s not the government’s place to tell me where to spend my “extra” money.

These people making these tax and fee laws should be ashamed of themselves.

Imagine if you went to McDonald’s and they charge you more based on the value of the car you are driving in the drive thru, so stupid.

Mike
 
Might be wishful thinking, but if the funding stays within GCNRA then one can hope this increases the wages of the various types of rangers (LE, maintenance, interpretive, gate) throughout the lake. Employee retention has been the park's biggest problem even when I worked at DRM 2015-2018. Higher wages might make these positions more attractive. I love the sense of isolation and all, but the lack of NPS presence is frightening IMO. Maybe this is one very small step to getting DRM back opened? I'm not a pessimist and the fees don't effect my 17ft kayak ;). Just food for thought...

Is Mead doing something similar?

Still day dreaming of world peace and not having ~20% of my tax dollars going to the military so they can take joy rides to Yuma and back over my house 365 days a year. Those Sikorsky MH-53 helicopters are loud! I'm okay with the occasional low altitude fly-over while I'm paddling on the lake. 🇺🇸
 
Dangling Dooley said:
Still day dreaming of world peace and not having ~20% of my tax dollars going to the military so they can take joy rides to Yuma and back over my house 365 days a year. Those Sikorsky MH-53 helicopters are loud! I'm okay with the occasional low altitude fly-over while I'm paddling on the lake. 🇺🇸
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Love your post......so agree......although the 20% of your tax dollars is ......IMO.........VERY low.....

Now let's talk about the real issue here......

Do you think if you'd shared a tad more of your Sutter Home white Zinfindel that mighta helped employee retention???

Jus sayin'........

:unsure: ;)
 
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