After reading an article and a commentary printed in the Record-Bee, I think it is time to consolidate them into a response.
Resident boaters were told in early January that this year they would have to pass a test prior to the issuance of their 2012 quagga sticker.
After reading the test that was proposed, I for one resident-boater thought the test was both confusing, convoluted and degrading.
I am very pleased by the Board of Supervisors” (BOS) decision to rescind the test as proposed because of the opinion of residents and purveyors of the stickers.
How can the county ask the business owners selling the stickers to take the extra time to supposedly educate the boater? A comprehensive handout would seem to be the best alternative to achieve this goal. With all the publicity that has been given to this issue in the last two years it would seem that the resident boaters should be very informed though.
The original article published in the Record-Bee on Jan. 12 included a report from the California Department of Fish and Game given to the BOS. The conclusion of the report was that Clear Lake is a Zone 1 lake because of the pH and calcium levels in the water.
The meaning of that is it may or may not be suitable for mussels. Department of Fish and Game and Department of Water Resources have been doing ongoing water sampling for quite some time. Also, Fish and Game has been monitoring boats during the bass tournaments.
Then in Jan. 19 issue of the Record-Bee there was a commentary by Jim Steele claiming that the state program is weak. Our local program appears to be the vanguard within the state with other programs being developed. All programs are a work in progress just as the local program is.
I agree with Mr. Steele that boater education is a good tool to use. A boater does not have to take a test in order to operate a boat so why the test for the sticker? I am not saying that an operator of a boat shouldn”t show some proficiency prior to operating any boat. All owners are able to take a class from the Coast Guard. Education on the quagga issue is critical and needs to be handled in a different manner through handouts, meetings and/or information coming from the state included with the boat registration, etc.
The returning monthly stickered boats have to go through the same process of going to one of the sellers and purchase a new sticker for that month. At that time they have to acknowledge where their boat has been since the previous sticker purchase.
A couple of old adages apply well in this case: you cannot lead a horse to water and make him drink; you catch more flies with honey than with salt.
Skip Simkins
Kelseyville
