Unnecessary boat tax
My old friend George Ostrom, one of Montana’s best-known newsmen, liked to say, “No man’s life or liberty is safe when the Montan Legislature is in session.” A proposed new tax on Montana boat owners seems to meet that old alert.
Currently, Montana’s lakes and rivers are protected by an effective and efficient program to keep unwanted aquatic invasive species (AIS) out of these waterbodies. Most of Montana is mostly or entirely free of unwanted aquatic invasive plants or animal species. That is the good news.
The current framework of AIS prevention seems to be working well. It is probably not a perfect system, but the bottom line is that the vast majority of Montana’s lakes and rivers are free of nuisance non-native aquatic critters. These nasty critters can significantly affect water quality and natural aquatic systems. The current system of highway boat inspection stations seems to catch most or all boats hauling these unknown and unwanted hitchhiking critters.
Montana is one of only a few states with no known populations of the dreaded invasive zebra or quagga mussels. These critters can drastically diminish the quality of lakes and rivers. These and other invasive species basically came in from the Great Lakes. International shipping, coming down the St. Lawrence seaway, allow ocean going ships into the Great Lakes. Once in the Great Lakes, ships sometimes discharge water from their bilge tanks. Occasionally this discharge included some unwanted zebra and quagga mussels. Without any natural enemies, these mussels quickly multiply, negatively affecting native vegetation, native fish and clogging fresh water supply systems. Of special importance is keeping the upper reaches of the Columbia River drainage in Montana free of these invasive mussels.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks is the major state agency overseeing this program. Every year, the state and other cooperating agencies check over 100,000 boats for any aquatic hitchhikers. If found, these boats are given a good cleaning of hot water that kills these invasive species. As I said earlier, this prevention method has kept most of Montana free of invasive aquatic species. As I drive my truck, trailer and fishing boat across several states and Canadian provinces each year, I have never had to stop and be checked for invasive species. Only in Montana.
Now, in the current session of our Legislature, House Bill 829 proposes to enact a new $30 annual fee (tax) on all motorized boats and $10 annual fee or tax on non-motorized vessels. This act defines non-motorized as includes kayaks, rafts and sailboats.
Before acquiring an AIS prevention pass, all boat owners will be required to complete a Montana aquatic invasive species awareness and education course of 30 minutes or less. Wow! All of these new government requirements are in addition to having to stop at AIS check stations if towing a boat.
How will affixing a new decal on my boat prevent the spread of AIS? Especially offensive to me is the need to buy an AIS pass or license for my small watercraft that never leaves my lake. I have a 12-foot aluminum fishing boat at my lake cabin which I bought new six years ago. It has never been off my lake, nor do I intend to take it anywhere. So how likely is it to spread an AIS species? Somewhere between zero and none! I also have a rubber boat, two canoes, a paddle boat and three kayaks for the grandkids. All of these have never left my lake. Yet I will have to buy an annual AIS pass each year. Yuck!
It goes without saying, that while this legislation is well intended, it involves adding over $8 million of taxpayer or boat owner funding for an expanded FWP bureaucracy. Why do I and thousands of other boat owners have to buy an AIS pass to use on our boats, which has absolutely nothing to do AIS prevention?
One of the two sponsors of this bill is a local legislator. Go online to read the full text of this bill, then call 406-444-4800 to leave a voice message for any legislator, expressing your opinion on this proposed legislation.