FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — The Bush Administration
obtained an extension of the September 15 deadline for personal watercraft use in eight National Recreation Areas. PWC use was scheduled to be halted on Sunday, September 15, 2002, because of an agreement between a San Francisco-based Bluewater Network and the Clinton Administration, which required several National Recreation Areas and Seashores to conduct environmental assessments on PWC before allowing their use to continue.

"We are happy that use will continue past the September 15 deadline," said Stephan Andranian, Government Affairs Manager for the American Watercraft Association, "but we still have yet to see a completed rulemaking."

Sixteen National Recreation Areas and Seashores are currently working on special regulations to allow for continued PWC access. Every one that has completed the required environmental studies has recommended continued access for PWC owners.

"Every Recreation Area, including Lake Mead, has recommended continued access," said Andranian. "This proves what boat owners have been saying all along: PWC belong in those National Recreation Areas and Seashores where similar boating activities occur, like wake-boarding, motor-boating and water-skiing."

At seven other Recreation Areas, the deadline will be extended through November 6, 2002. They include:

Amistad National Recreation Area — Texas
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area — Mont.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area — Okla.
Curecanti National Recreation Area — Colo.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Lake Powell) — Utah
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area — Texas
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area — Wash.

The American Watercraft Association is still planning to hold scheduled pro-PWC access rallies at Lake Mead and Lake Powell (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area) on Saturday, September 14.