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Background
<br />Because conservation remains predominant, the National Park Service seeks to avoid or to minimize
<br />adverse impacts on park resources and values. Yet, the Park Service has discretion to allow negative
<br />impacts when necessary (NPS Management Policies 2001, sec. 1.4.3). While some actions and activities
<br />cause impacts, the National Park Service cannot allow an adverse impact that constitutes a resource
<br />impairment (NPS Management Policies 2001, sec. 1.4.3). The Organic Act prohibits actions that
<br />permanently impair park resources unless a law directly and specifically allows for the acts (16 USC
<br />1 a -1). An action constitutes an impairment when its impacts "harm the integrity of park resources or
<br />values, including the opportunities that otherwise would be present for the enjoyment of those resources
<br />or values" (NPS Management Policies 2001, sec. 1.4.4). To determine impairment, the National Park
<br />Service must evaluate "the particular resources and values that would be affected; the severity, duration,
<br />and timing of the impact; the direct and indirect effects of the impact; and the cumulative effects of the
<br />impact in question and other impacts" (NPS Management Policies 2001, sec. 1.4.4).
<br />Because park units vary based on their authorizing memorandum of agreement, natural resources, cultural
<br />resources, and missions, the recreational activities appropriate for each unit and for areas within each unit
<br />vary as well. An action appropriate in one unit could impair resources in another unit. Thus, this
<br />environmental assessment analyzes the context, duration, and intensity of impacts related to PWC use at
<br />Curecanti, as well as potential for resource impairment, as required by Director's Order # 12:
<br />Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis and Decision - making (DO # 12) and Director's
<br />Order #28: Cultural Resource Management (DO # 28).
<br />SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
<br />Over the past two decades personal watercraft use in the United States increased dramatically. However,
<br />there are conflicting data about whether PWC use is continuing to increase. While the National
<br />Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) estimates that retailers sell approximately 200,000 personal
<br />watercraft each year and people currently use another 1 million (NTSB 1998); the PWC industry argues
<br />that PWC sales have decreased by 50% from 1995 to 2000 (American Watercraft Association [AWA]
<br />2001). National PWC ownership increased every year between 1991 and 1998; the rate of annual increase
<br />peaked in 1994 at 32% and dropped slightly in 1999, 2000, and 2001 (see table 1).
<br />TABLE 1: NATIONAL PWC REGISTRATION TREND
<br />W.
<br />1991
<br />Number of
<br />:.. •
<br />16,262,000
<br />Number of Personal
<br />•
<br />305,915
<br />Boat Ownership
<br />Change)
<br />—
<br />- • Ownership
<br />—
<br />1992
<br />16,262,000
<br />372,283
<br />0%
<br />21.7%
<br />1993
<br />16,212,000
<br />454,545
<br />0%
<br />22.1%
<br />1994
<br />16,239,000
<br />600,000
<br />0%
<br />32.0%
<br />1995
<br />15,375,000
<br />760,000
<br />-5%
<br />26.7%
<br />1996
<br />15,830,000
<br />900,000
<br />3%
<br />18.4%
<br />1997
<br />16,230,000
<br />1,000,000
<br />3%
<br />11.1%
<br />1998
<br />16,657,000
<br />1,100, 000
<br />3%
<br />10.0%
<br />1999
<br />16,773,000
<br />1,096,000
<br />1%
<br />-0.4%
<br />2000
<br />16,965,000
<br />1,078,400
<br />1 %
<br />-1.6%
<br />2001
<br />1,053,560
<br />-2.4%
<br />Source of boat information: USCG 2001.
<br />Source of PWC information: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) 2002.
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