39 



when it first started, was accused of being a powerboat lobby. It 

 is still constantly referred to as the powerboat lobby arm. 



I personally invited all the float outfitters on the Forest Service 

 provided list that were operating in Hells Canyon in 1994 with an 

 invite to join the alliance. I have a copy of the letter I sent them, 

 I have a list that I checked off that I sent to these people. 



They didn't respond, they didn't join. They didn't want, appar- 

 ently to come work out a plan. I don't think that it is a matter of 

 people wanting to limit powerboats. I think really down deep, most 

 people that are on the other side of this issue would like to elimi- 

 nate powerboats to increase that float business. 



I am a floater, but there are lots of rivers we can float in an area 

 where we don't have powerboats, and I enjoy floating with boaters 

 sometimes. 



I think it is economic. I think we have an economic thing going 

 on here. One person told me — I will be real brief here. When I 

 called one of the people who was a big float outfitter on the river, 

 I got his wife on the phone, he was on the river, and I asked her 

 why they hadn't responded to my invite to join the alliance. Her 

 comment was that it was purely business, that they could increase 

 their profits if they could eliminate Jetboats off the river. 



I think that is the driving force. 



Mr. COOLEY. If we are talking about economics and apparently, 

 it has sort of shifted into the reason we are having tension and con- 

 flict; it is not for the environment, not for the experience, but strict- 

 ly for the money. 



I am not sure if that is true or not, but let us just go with that 

 factor. How much money is involved in this? How much money is 

 totaled in this thing, in this experience, over a period of time? 



Do we have three or four months where you can enjoy this, when 

 it is not too cold or too hot? Tell me. 



Mr. Sherwin. In the primary use season, you have somewhere 

 around three months. I can float the river — I like to float it in late 

 fall and do some steelhead fishing and other things. 



Mr. CoOLEY. But probably a lot of people don't like the chilliness. 



Mr. Sherwin. Right. 



Mr. CoOLEY. So what are we talking about, three months? 



Mr. Sherwin. In this three-month period, you are asking me 

 what economic effect? 



I will be real honest with you. I am a private floater, and I don't 

 really understand all these economic figures that both sides of the 

 commercial argument are throwing around. 



I think Barrel or Sandra would probably be much better on that 

 aspect of it, but I just think that the economics are driving certain 

 people, and they are dragging other privates along with them into 

 this argument. 



Mr. CoOLEY. For a floater, can you give me a general idea of 

 what the total revenue is for three months? Just a general idea. 



Mr. Sherwin. I am sorry, I can't. I am sure that the next panel 

 can fill you in on that very well. 



They have some commercial people there that probably have 

 those figures much better than I do. 



Mr. CooLEY. Does anybody on the panel know? 



