Boat washing stations open soon

SANDPOINT — The Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District has received funding from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to locally manage boat inspection stations in the Pend Oreille and Priest watersheds.

The district has hired 15 employees from Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties to staff the stations, which help protect the watersheds from aquatic invasive species such as quagga and zebra mussels.

“Local management of boat inspection stations will ensure a better working relationship with the community, law enforcement and the boating public,” said Kate Wilson, coordinator for the Pend Oreille Basin Commission.

The new hires will undergo training which consists of an in-depth classroom instruction and hands-on instruction from a local boat mechanic.

Stations will be located at the Samuels fillings station on U.S. Highway 95 north, south of Athol on U.S. 95 south, U.S. 2 in Oldtown. The state and Avista are partnering to manage an inspection station on Highway 200 at the Montana state line.

The stations will operate every day of the week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The boat stations will be in place from May 27 to Sept. 15.

It is mandatory for all watercraft — including non-motorized vessels — to stop at a boat inspection site.

The aquatic invasive species prevention and education program is funded solely from the state’s Invasive Species Sticker Fund.

The sticker fee is rolled into the registration fee for motorboats registered in Idaho in 2010. The sticker fee for motorized vessels registered out of state is $22 and $7 for canoes, kayaks and drift boats under 10 feet.

A $57 fine can be imposed for those caught boating without a sticker. Those who knowingly transport an aquatic invader can be subject to a $3,000 fine and incarceration.

Also new this year is a vendor fee for non-motorized and out-of-state sticker purchases. The $1.50 fee is meant to ensure that vendors don’t lose money by participating in the program.

There is also added emphasis on education during this year’s program as boats traveling the highways present the highest risk of transporting invaders such as mussels, Eurasian milfoil, New Zealand mudsnails and fish pathogens.

“This year we have a unique opportunity to better protect our waterways from aquatic invaders, provide jobs for local citizens, and make a model of the Boat Inspection Program,” said Wilson.

Additional information about the program and vendor locations can be found on the Web at (http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/idahoinvasivespeciesfund.aspx).