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Posts: 2068
Location: Appleton,WI | I recieved a envolope in the mail yesterday from Wisconsin boating enthusiasts.There mission is FREE access to all wisconsin waters no more boat ramp or trailer parking fees.I guess they stated statute 30.77(3)(e) which allows boat landing fees but the supreme court has already ruled it illegal to impose a penalty or obstacle on those attempting to access a constitutional right(Harman vs. Forssenius)
Has anybody heard about this or know anything??I believe there home base is berlin,wi. |
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Posts: 2361
| This ought to get interesting. LOL. |
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Posts: 147
Location: Milwaukee, WI | Does this group have attorneys ?
They will be fighting City Halls wherever they try to start this.
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Posts: 1220
| OK, we all sort of know when the lakes around here are going to freeze over. Now, if anybody knows when hell's going to freeze over--that's when the boat ramps will all be free. Marty Forman |
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Posts: 2068
Location: Appleton,WI | I will try too scan this flyer in and post it this weekend. |
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Posts: 148
Location: Northwest Wi. | I dont mind paying a fee if the charging party also maintains a nice launch. I see some citys are already charging not an access fee but a Boat/Trailer inspection fee for invasives... |
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Posts: 13
| Somebody's got to pay for the construction and maintenance of the the boat launches. It makes sense to me that those people that use the launches should be the ones to pay for them, so I don't see what the big deal is unless people are getting charged outrageous fees. Aren't most of them already free or about $5? |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | I don't think it's that big of a deal provided the individual(s) pocketing the cash for the launch fees are properly maintaining the launch. If I go to a launch with a friend and it reeks of trash and there's litter scattered about... what in the world is the money going towards? I don't care if it's a dollar or ten dollars... someone is getting paid. |
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Posts: 646
Location: In a shack in the woods | I don't mind the fact that I have to pay. What gets me though is I have to pay more because I am not a resident. I buy a non resident license and trout stamp, Support local tackle shops wherever I go, and even have to pay to park my truck in a parking lot on a trout stream. I just wish it was the same amount for every one not this pro rated resident crap. I can launch my boat in Hastings for free or drive 5 mi to Prescott where it's $7 for residents but $10 for me. The $3 won't break me but it definatly adds up. If they charged every one the same I would probably launch there for the conveniance factor. Jmo |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | Fees are not outline at all. When you consider the cost to keep them up. I don't think most of us mind paying a few bucks for good launch sites. You can't have everything for free.
Pfeiff |
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Posts: 1270
| There is already a law in WIsconsin that if the launch is owned or operated by a municipality the fees collected for ramp or parking fees have to go back to the maintenence of the launch or towards the bodie of water. If the launch os privatly owned then they can pocket the money, as they should be able to.
As for paying for public launches I'm torn on that. I agree that the people using the facility (us boaters) should pay for it but then why do they not charge to use public basketball or tennis courts? They're both used by a small amount of people yet paid for by all the taxpayers. |
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Posts: 272
| I'd like to know what the three landings on the Fox River in GB gross every year. If the money goes back to the landing maintenance.........yow! Figure $5 a crack, multiplied by 250 boats a day in the month of March....just March. And two fitty is prolly conservative during the height of the walleye run. 30 days X $5 X 250 = $37,500. Obviously not every launch has a body of water like the Fox River lapping it's concrete ramp, but that's just the busiest 30 days of the year. Those ramps are taking in money 270-ish days a year, and have very little maintenance.
Not sure what I'm saying here exactly, other than that's alot of money. |
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Posts: 1270
| addict, many of those at the GB launches buy a yearly pass so it works out to less than $5.00 per launch but I do agree that it's a lot of money. Remmeber also that the parks Dept. runs 5 launches with those fees, Voyager, Municipal, Suamico, Bay Shore, and Lily Lake.
If someone lives in GB call the parks Dept. and ask how the money is being spent, I did it for my launch in Manitowoc and the Harbor Master was very up front in explaining where the monyy went and what could all be considered as "luanch maintanance" according to the state. If you get any grief contact the DNR and ask for the lady that is in charge of monitoring all this stuff. I spoke to her and she was very helpfull. |
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Posts: 14
| I think the Berlin mans argument is that in the WI constitution, any member of the state of WI is granted FREE access to public waterways. which obviously isnt happening. Its not actually called a launch fee in this area either, its a boat trailer parking fee, vehicles with boat trailers are being charged to park while other vehicles are not. In the town of Winneconne at a county park it was observed that a vehicle with a boat trailer parked next to a vehicle without a trailer in the same parking lot at the same park and only the vehicle with a trailer is charged, now how is that right?? The truck and trailer were actually ticketed for not paying I believe, and if I am not mistaken it was the man from Berlin who owned the truck/trailer. They are both using the same "county park" whether it is the swingset, grill, or boat landing, if you are charged to park then everyone should be charged to park, not just vehicles with boat trailers. And I wonder what the county tax dollars are being spent on? That should be where the money is coming from to maintain the landings, I have been to very few that even appear to have spent a reasonable amount maintaining the landing. I also dont mind paying if the money is being spent on maintenance of landings. Anyways, there was a detailed article in the Wisconsin Outdoor News a few weeks ago if anyone is interested. I believe he has already been to court numerous times. He seems very serious and very determined. I also have some copies of the flyer if anyone is interested in donating money, they were passing them out at work so I made copies. |
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wisconsin boating enthusiasts?(No more boat landing fee's)