The California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB] is moving forward with a proposed statewide requirement that marinas and clubs with 10 or more slips and moorings obtain a state permit [termed a Coastal Marina Permit] and comply with many new requirements including extensive testing and reporting at a projected annual cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The use of the word “coastal” in the permit name is a misnomer. The text of the proposal states that it would be required of moorings and marinas located not only along the coast but in bays, estuaries, and certain fresh water mixing zones such as the San-Joaquin Delta. The scope could also be expanded as the proposal moves forward.
RBOC is working on this critical issue in cooperation with allied partners including Bay Planning Coalition, BoatU.S., California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains, California Marine Parks and Harbors Association, California Yacht Brokers Association, Marina and Recreation Association, and Western Boaters Safety Group.
The SWRCB plans to conduct stakeholder workshops in March, to receive public comments in April, and to vote upon the permit in November of 2010. The exact dates, times and locations of the stakeholder workshops have not yet been set, but plans are for workshops to be in San Diego, Ventura, and Francisco.
What clubs should do:
• Become Familiar with the Proposal and Its Impact, through the attached call-to-action
and other pertinent documents posted at www.swrcb.ca.gov and www.rboc.org.
• Keep Informed of Developments and Attend Workshops as this information becomes
available, and speak out against this proposal.
• Distribute the Call-to-action and Sample Letter to your Club Members.
• Generate Letters and Emails to the Governor, the SWRCB, and State Legislators, to submit your written opposition to this proposal.
RBOC contacts for clubs desiring more information on
this issue are:
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The California State Water Resources Control Board [SWRCB] is moving forward with a proposed statewide requirement that marinas and clubs with 10 or more slips and moorings obtain a state permit [termed a Coastal Marina Permit] and comply with many new requirements including extensive testing and reporting at a projected annual cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
