168 



there is to obtain a wilderness experience. This would appear to be true both in 

 terms of the physical availability of river sections, and the opportunity to run those 

 sections. 



In summary, if information for opportunities on rivers other than the Snake were 

 used to determine a fair allocation on the Snake between motorized and 

 nonmotorized use, the case for dedicating a substantial norunotorized period would 

 be stronger than the case for precluding any nonmotorized period. 



MYTH #8: Jet boat numbers really are regulated in Hells Canyon, and float boats are 

 only regulated on 16 miles of the river 



The jet boat lobby has claimed that jet boats really do have to obtain a permit to run 

 the Snake River, and the number of jet boats really are regulated. Tiiis is flatly false. 



This statement is meant to defend what is arguably the most inequitable, and 

 indefensible use allocations on any river (or area of public land) in America. It is 

 meant to imply that jet boat use and/or numbers are limited. They are not. Jet 

 boaters are advised to fill out a self-issue permit at some of the launch sites or access 

 points to the Snake River. There is no limit to the number of these permits that can 

 be issued at any time. They are designed to monitor motorized use to determine 

 where jet boats go, and how many run the river at certain times. (See, Exhibit P.) 



There is not currently, nor has there ever been, any system regulating jet boat use of 

 the Snake River that controls the amount of jet boat launches that can occur at any 

 place, or on any day or season. If a person wishes to launch a jet boat on any day of 

 the year, at any access point on the Snake River, they may do so. 



On April 18, 1996, U.S. Attorney Tom Lee responded to a question from U.S. District 

 Judge James Redden asking exactly how motorized rivercraft is regulated in on the 

 Snake River. His only example of how the Forest Service had ever regulated jet 

 boat use was that it limits the number of commercial jet boat outfitting licenses that 

 can be issued. (This provision is not a limitation on jet boat launches. The number 

 of launches, or the number of jet boats a licensee may operate is not limited, and 

 private launches are not and never have been limited.) 



Conversely, nonmotorized use is limited to five party launches per day on the 

 upper 32 miles of the river during the summer months. The jet boat lobby has 

 stated that this restriction only applies to 16 miles of the river. Again, this is a gross 

 mischaracterization that intends to understate the actual regulations that floaters 

 have had to live with. 



It would be extremely difficult to launch a float trip from below the 16-mile permit 

 area, until one reaches Pittsburg Landing, which is 16 miles below the bottom of the 

 16-mile permit area. There are no launch ramps in this section and only one access 

 road, which is primitive and does not even reach all the way to the river. 



Tesbmony of HCPC on River Management 



