2024 mussel aware test

[BoatBallast]

Krystal,
Could you please help us understand how/why non-motorized watercraft (“If it floats, it’s a boat”) are not a “boat” and are incapable of spreading an invasive specie?

I don't think she said they are "incapable" of spreading invasive species.  I think she said less likely and that's because motors of whatever kind typically use water from the lake for cooling.  Some of that water gets caught in the motor, no matter how much you dry it. 

If you don't have a motor, you don't have any water in the boat from the place you just left. 

I was a certified WY boat checker for a while.  I'm not 100% sure that's the reasoning but that's my guess. 

The more cynical side of me says that a motor is a distinction between whether a boat is taxable and registered or not and so for their administrative convenience (read - able to collect fees from owners based on knowing who they are and vitals about their boat), anything that has a motor and floats is a boat.  This is clearly about money.  And if anyone thinks it's going to stay at $20 for any length of time, think again.

By the act of the State not charging an AIS fee to non-motorized boats, they are in essence saying a non-motorized boat is incapable of spreading an AIS.
A boat with an outboard engine is much less likely to spread an AIS than a wake boat with internal ballast bladders, but ‘they’ and ‘us’ pay the same $20 fee.
It is time that ANY and ALL watercraft that float shares the cost equally to protect our waters.
And yes, I also include the SUP’s that sit on a beach at Powell/Mead for days and then get used in a clean water a day or two later.
Remember, the State says “If it floats, it IS a boat”.

P.S. I will make a deal with the State!
I will pay my $20 towards AIS protection and quit complaining that non-motorized boats don’t need to help keep our waters AIS free, BUT, as long as my boat has a current Utah registration sticker on it I don’t have to pay to use the ramp I already paid for with my registration fees.
No different than a legally registered car using public roads.
Deal?

I disagree.  I think they can say they aren't charging non-motorized boats because the risk is substantially reduced.  I don't think anyone has to make the logical leap that they believe boats without a motor are incapable of spreading AIS. 

You still have the registration and compliance problem.  And, I'm not saying I don't agree with your complaints.  I'm just saying the state is going after the people with the money to give them.  If you have a boat, you have money to give them.

Again, I may be cynical.  But, I don't think I'm wrong.

Krystal,
Please help us to help you by explaining why the AIS Division of Utah, the governing agency formed to help protect our waters, and please explain why only motorized watercraft are responsible to fund the AIS program.
And if it truly is based on the probability that an engine is more likely to carry contaminated water, why are boats with internal ballast tanks AND an engine are not charged double?
It takes almost triple the time of DWR resources to decon a surf boat than a fishing boat with simple outboard.

Because the legislature didn't write the law that way.  The DWR can't just make up whatever fees they want to.  The legislature decided to charge everyone the same fee, ballast tanks or not and probably because boats are registered with motors by horsepower, ballast tanks aren't so they don't know who does and does not have a ballast tank for fee purposes.