[OnlyAlaska]

Here is an update on what is happening with Kenai River proposed regulations right now. Nothing has yet taken effect but it does look as though changes are in the works. Hope this helps.


November 21, 2006
Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
PROPOSED CHANGES TO KENAI RIVER BOATING REGULATIONS


New Kenai River boating regulations allowing larger but cleaner-running motors and limiting the size of boats operating on the river are now available for public review and comment, park officials said today.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has proposed the new state park regulations to reduce the impact of motorized boats on the Kenai River Special Management Area, and to reduce hydrocarbon pollution of the river attributed to older style outboard motors, said Chris Degernes, park operations chief for DNR.

The regulation changes recommended by the management area's advisory board include:

• Increasing the maximum allowable horsepower for motorized boats to 50 horsepower, up from 35 hp
• Limiting boat sizes to no more than 21 feet long and eight feet, 10 inches wide
• Requiring all outboard engines used after Jan. 1, 2008 to be either four-stroke motors or direct fuel injection two-stroke motors

"The Kenai River is one of our premier recreational treasures, and we have an obligation to manage it to preserve the quality of the outdoor experience for Alaskans and visitors alike," Degernes said. "These new regulations represent an effort to balance the interests of all users and to protect the health of this resource for the long-term."

The higher horsepower regulation is necessary so that typical power boats on the Kenai can operate more efficiently to achieve "planing speed," which reduces the size of boat wakes and their effects on the riverbank, she said. The 50 horsepower rule establishes an upper limit that represents a readily available, standard manufactured engine size, and removes the authorization for larger engines to be detuned to meet the 50 hp requirement.

The boat length and width restriction provision is necessary to ensure that boat size does not increase when the horsepower limit is raised to 50 hp, as the benefit from reduced boat wakes would be lost with larger, heavier boats, Degernes said. These restrictions would authorize the use of larger boats until January 1, 2010 by a permit issued to persons who own oversized boats on the effective date of this regulation.
Finally, the proposal mandates that engines used on the river produce cleaner exhausts, since studies have documented high levels of hydrocarbon pollution attributed to boat engines, she said.

The public may comment on the new regulations in several ways:

• Provide written or oral testimony at one of two public hearings on the proposed regulations:
o Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7-9 p.m., Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Chambers, Soldotna
o Wednesday, Nov. 29, 7-9 p.m., Suite 240, Robert Atwood Building, 550 W. Seventh. Ave., Anchorage

• Submit written comments by mail, fax or email:
o E-Mail/Mail: Chris Degernes, Chief of Field Operations, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, , 550 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 1380, Anchorage, AK 99501-3561
o Fax: (907) 269-8907

All comments are due by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19, 2006.


Contact:
Chris Degernes at, 907-269-8702 for more information.