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News Briefs
     
Bureau of Reclamation Agrees to Public Conduct Rule Revision
March 27, 2008 - In a phone call to SPA Director, James McManus Wednesday, the Washington, D.C. office of the Bureau of Reclamation announced they will make a formal revision of the 2006 Public Conduct Rule which banned seaplanes from most of their lakes. The revision is expected to return seaplane access to BoR lakes to pre-Public Conduct Rule status. See full press release at www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/BoRpressrelease.doc. Thank you all for your hard work and professional diligence. SPA will continue to work with the Bureau throughout this process and keep you advised as it develops.
Maine Aircraft Use Tax Follow-Up
March 21, 2008 - Greenville city leaders send protest to Governor. Concern over economic impact of "Aircraft Use Tax". Read full text at http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/MEtaxLtr.pdf. See also this News Brief, January '08, below.
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
February 29 , 2008 - The BLM has released its final draft of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Resource Management Plan and EIS. The final draft came out at the end of January and an additional comment period for appeals of the document has been established, ending March 4. The BLM final plan prohibits seaplanes from using 146 miles of the river, although allowing other power vessels. SPA and the Columbia SPA asks that you sign the CSAP’s letter protesting this Plan. For details, please see the Forum under the heading of Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.
Bureau of Reclamation – Broad-Based Special Use Area Planning
February 8, 2008 - The Bureau of Reclamation has requested the Seaplane Pilots Association become the official seaplane liaison with the agency. Work is concluding on developing new broad-based Special Use areas for seaplane access that will include large numbers of BoR reservoirs, rather than the previously discussed individual lake-by-lake model. SPA expects to be able to announce the new BoR Special Use program later in February.
Bureau of Reclamation Breakthrough
January 19, 2008 - Following SPA’s visit to the Bureau of Reclamation offices at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. in December, on-going conferences during the past few weeks have been very promising. The Commissioner’s office in Washington last week told SPA that, after confirming with their various entities if any reservoirs should specifically be closed to seaplanes, “for the remaining reservoirs that are not already open to seaplanes, we will create an agency-wide special use area designation in accordance with the Public Conduct Rule that will open those reservoirs for seaplane landings and takeoffs. It may be possible to complete this process by February 15, 2008." Details are now being coordinated with BoR regions, Area Offices, and managing partners. Our thanks to the many individual SPA members and regional seaplane organizations who have contributed valuable insight and hard work into this very difficult challenge. We will keep you informed.
Joint Effort – Multiple Strategies:
January 6, 2008 - On-going work continues at SPA to negotiate directly with Bureau of Reclamation officials to reopen lakes in 17 western states to seaplane access. Other opportunities are being employed to seek political influence toward solutions involving other aviation organizations as well as local and state governments. Individual SPA members from various states have also effectively contributed to this fight. An SPA member in Idaho recently persuaded the Idaho Department of Transportation to formally request the BoR to provide temporary use permits for seaplane access until these issues are settled. SPA is providing Idaho DOT with a letter of support in that effort. SPA’s greatest asset is the strength of its membership, their local personal contacts, and their personal initiative. If you have contacts with local BoR lake controlling agency officials, state transportation decision-makers, or other local leaders and are willing to help with similar initiatives, please contact SPA. Coordinated focused efforts will help us all regain our fair access to these public waters.
Maine Use Tax Angers Out-of-State Pilots
January 2008 - Maine is levying massive use taxes on out-of-state pilots who purchased their planes in states not requiring sales tax, but visit Maine for more than 20 days. Read full text at http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/MEtax.pdf.
Waldo Lake Update
December 4, 2007 - The Forest Service plans to outlaw all seaplanes and internal combustion boat engines from Oregon’s Waldo Lake. In June 2007 the Columbia SPA (CSPA) filed an appeal to the Forest Service proposal which was later denied. The CSPA now seeks remedy in federal court. Outcomes of this case could influence how other federal government seaplane bans are viewed by the courts. For details, please see SPA’s official response to the Forest Service proposal at http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/Waldo1.doc. For a summary of the CSPA position and appeal see http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/Waldo2.pdf and http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/Waldo3.pdf .
BORDER CROSSING UPDATE
November 14, 2007 - SPA joined AOPA in formally requesting the Customs and Border Patrol extend its public comment period (See News Brief Below). An extension has been granted for public comment – new date is DECEMBER 4, 2007. Please don't let this date pass without responding to this critical matter!
Border Crossing Proposal
October 26, 2007 - SPA was among the first to make formal reply to the proposed new border crossing rule (see http://www.seaplanes.org/advocacy/CustomsLetter.pdf). Customs and Border Patrol officials have met with the SPA director, at our headquarters in Lakeland, and in discussions with the Boarder Patrol offices in Jacksonville and Miami. Discussions with the board chairman of AOPA and other AOPA officials and communications with congressional leaders like Adam Putnam of Florida regarding the ruling occupied much of October. But the clock is ticking toward the Nov. 19 cutoff for public comment. As mentioned earlier, please write letters communicating your passion on this issue to Customs and Border Patrol as well as your congressional leaders. Feel free to use the link to the SPA letter above as a guide, but also express your own concerns about this unworkable and ineffective rule proposal. The most direct means of sending your message is to follow the directions on this link: http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/customs/submit.html. Many more details to follow in the upcoming Fall Edition of the SPA e-newsletter (make sure we have your email address).
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