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#930245 - 03/17/08 12:01 AM Re: Bill Has Been Raised for Candlewood Lake Boat Use Permits HB5828 [Re: CAJUN]
Scotti G Offline
Member

Registered: 05/08/03
Posts: 450
Loc: Litchfield county
Thanks guys for stepping up
Scotti G


Edited by Scotti G (03/17/08 12:02 AM)
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#930319 - 03/17/08 03:24 AM Re: Bill Has Been Raised for Candlewood Lake Boat Use Permits HB5828 [Re: Scotti G]
Mitch P. Offline



Registered: 05/04/01
Posts: 31730
Thanks to all who took action.
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#931045 - 03/19/08 10:27 AM Candlewood plan Dead???
bk Offline

Member

Registered: 06/06/01
Posts: 4167
Loc: Newtown
From todays Danbury News Times.

Candlewood Lake boat sticker plan dead in water
Environment Committee refuses to approve boat bill
By Robert Miller Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 03/19/2008 06:31:36 AM EDT



The boats on Candlewood Lake will remain sticker-free for at least another year.

The General Assembly's Environment Committee last week refused to approve a bill creating the sticker program. Without committee approval, the bill died without debate on the floor of the legislature.

State Rep. Clark Chapin, R-New Milford, and the ranking Republican on the committee, said Tuesday he and the committee chairman discussed the bill and agreed it didn't even have enough support to win the committee's approval. Therefore, he said, the bill never even came to a vote.

"It really didn't surprise me," Chapin said, noting that legislation is often proposed several times before it is passed.

That defeat, however, does not mean work will end on the program. Area leaders, who have pushed the idea of a boat sticker program on Candlewood for several years, said they are committed to continue working on its behalf.

"We will definitely support this until it gets passed," said Patrick Callahan, chairman of the Candlewood Lake Authority.

One of the first steps the authority hopes to take is to sit down with the staff of the state Department of Environmental Protection to learn why the DEP opposed the bill strongly after giving the Candlewood Lake Authority tacit approval to develop a proposal in 2007.

"They blind-sided us," Callahan said.

The program, as proposed, would have made all boaters buy a sticker to use Candlewood Lake each year.

The proposed fee was $50 a year for state boaters and $100 a year for those from out of state. Those who used the lake only once or twice a year would have bought temporary stickers -- $20 for state residents, $30 for out-of-state residents.
The Candlewood Lake Authority would have used the money from the program to bulk up its marine patrol program, which enforces boating safety on the lake. It would have also pleased area residents who believe that they pay for the lake's management while people from out of town, or out of state, enjoy Candlewood for free.

It would have given the authority a much better idea of how many people use the lake every year. It could have also reduced the $60,000 a year contribution the five towns around the lake now give the lake authority for its work.

Larry Marsicano, the authority's executive director, said he knew the DEP had problems with the fees, believing they were too high. He said the DEP may have also been unhappy with the authority collecting all the money from the program.

But he said he wished the DEP would have tried to resolve those differences, rather than opposing the program so firmly.

But Chapin said many people from around the state opposed the sticker program.

"It had support in the Candlewood area, but once you got outside that area, people didn't support it," he said. Some boaters didn't want to pay a fee to use Candlewood, Chapin said, while others feared the program would set a precedent that would spread to other lakes.

Robert Crook, head of the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen, spoke out strongly against the program.

"We think there is a public boat ramp to Candlewood and that the public should be able to use it for free," Crook said Tuesday. "The Candlewood Lake Authority doesn't have any business interfering with access to the lake."

Marsicano said the authority and the leaders of the five towns around the lake need to know if the DEP now opposes a sticker program in general, or whether it just wants changes in the proposed plan.

If it's the former, he said, it makes no sense to continue spending time and money developing it.

"We definitely need the DEP's buy-in to proceed," he said.
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#931051 - 03/19/08 10:58 AM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: bk]
Keith G Offline

Member

Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 3077
Loc: Suffield, CT
Ahh, the truth comes out. This article reveals alot about the motives of the lake authority. Basically it came down to revenue collection and easing the sense that residents pay for others to enjoy something. This would be a horrible precedent reading that one of the reasons for it was surrounding towns feeling they were funding others use of the lake. Where does it end? Last I heard CLA patrols are not legally allowed to do anything other than act like mall cops and call the DEP. Putting more rent a cops on the lake is not any kind of solution. As someone here prviously mentioned there are parking restrictions that limit out of town and out of state use. Perhaps the CLA should look at itself and consider limits on dockage and slips on the lake if they are worried about traffic. They could also look into restricting boat length like some lakes do. Their sticker pay to play idea is doomed. You have a few towns vs the rest of the state. The publicity on this matter is not helping them. The DEP should also grow a pair and tel them straight up that if they want paid access then they can handle all aspects of patrolling, stocking and maintaining the lake with zero state assistance seeing as they wish to make it private by charging a rediculous fee for both yearly and one time use. That being said I personally do not have a problem with charging out of staters a fee to launch or moor their boats there.

I might be incorrect but I am never wrong!!

GO CELTICS!!!!!
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#931062 - 03/19/08 11:33 AM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: Keith G]
mattmann7 Offline

Member

Registered: 08/25/06
Posts: 3844
Loc: wethersfield ct
bottom line is whoever forges the strongest voice with the dep will have the greatest chance to win the tug of war. correct me if im wrong but imo the gist of this issue is that the lake homeowners represented by cla want to have the same rights as people who live on a private or semi private lake. they wish for the public to be denied or further restricted access to a public body of water. a body of water with a federal deed that requires its owners to allow "UNBIASED" access to all the residents of the state of ct. left unabated and unchallenged the methods to achieve their goals such as the sticker program will incremently(sp) strangle the publics access.
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#931293 - 03/19/08 09:36 PM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: mattmann7]
willywonka56 Offline
Member

Registered: 01/08/04
Posts: 4257
Good i have my one time candy trip a year again! I apologize in advance to all the homeowners for useing "there" lake for a day.

Keep it simple.
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#931302 - 03/19/08 10:01 PM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: willywonka56]
Jess Caraballo Offline


Registered: 03/03/06
Posts: 430
Loc: CT
I wouldn't mind paying a yearly access fee. It's no different than having to pay a launch fee. Lake residents would also have to pay this fee. I think it's a great idea; as long as the money collected is used to better the lake.

"Momma told me when I was young.... Be a simple kind of man, oh be something you love and understand" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

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#931474 - 03/20/08 11:12 AM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: Jess Caraballo]
Keith G Offline

Member

Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 3077
Loc: Suffield, CT
Thats great if you only fish CWood. Now imagine paying also $50-100 per year for any lake in CT that has a lake association group. There is alot hingeing on this proposal. If you fish CWood once the cost they are proposing is $20-30. Still sound like a good idea? That is entirely different than paying a launch fee. At least a launch fee is paid per use. Lets say you pay out $50-100 for your annual fee and fish the lake once due to whatever reasons. Still a good idea? That is money in addition to your taxes and licenses that fund the launches, stockings and legitimate DEP patrols on CWood. Your paying twice for access to a state funded body of water. I am betting the CLA members have either freebie or discounts to their own fees as they pay dues or whatever already. The only people affected are nonresidents.

I might be incorrect but I am never wrong!!

GO CELTICS!!!!!
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#931538 - 03/20/08 01:41 PM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: Keith G]
BASSMANinCT Offline

Member

Registered: 03/19/02
Posts: 1107
We who take the time to comment and get involved at any level of this, should probably learn more about the similar issue that occured on our State's shoreline beaches. There is alot of similarities with that.

One thing I beleive is in favor of the public, is the fact that Candlewood Lake, is owned by a government funded and sanctioned company. As long as that is the case, the CLA will never have governing autority up there. The lake will remain PUBLIC, as long as it is PUBLICALLY OWNED! Never will it be a private lake for home owners and residents.

"A bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work!"

BASSMANinCT
My Fishing Pics Here: http://facebook.com/CameraManSWAIZE
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#931573 - 03/20/08 03:40 PM Re: Candlewood plan Dead??? [Re: BASSMANinCT]
Jon Pski Offline

Member

Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 5742
Loc: Winsted, CT
 Quote:
One thing I beleive is in favor of the public, is the fact that Candlewood Lake, is owned by a government funded and sanctioned company. As long as that is the case, the CLA will never have governing autority up there. The lake will remain PUBLIC, as long as it is PUBLICALLY OWNED! Never will it be a private lake for home owners and residents.


Very true! but, the CLA has a very good working relationship with its area Legislators. As long as they continue to be heard politiclly, we must be watchful.

From the start, this has been about increased funding for the CLA. Many years back they were talking of the same issues as now. "Why should our residents have to carry the burden of enforcement?" The residents created the CLA and over the years, the CLA has done a lot of good work, but, it seems to be this growing monster that needs to be fed money. I believe the CLA has all good intentiions for the lake but they must also remember they can only be so large with limited power.

A lot of the tournament guys get really upset every time something like this comes up on Candlewood. Mostly, I think they feel as they are being singled out. I tend to agree with that sentiment. We all hear about the overcrowding of the lake but the basic fact remains that we can only have about 100 permitted boats through the two state ramps while the other 6000 vessels or so registered on the lake have free reign. Tournaments over a certain size can not start before 8 AM due to the CLA making noise with their area legislators a couple years ago. DEP gave in and went along with the idea of later starts for "organized" events. If I'm joe average fisherman who wants to hit the water at 5AM no problem. If I'm part of the local "ski club" and want to get out at 6AM, no problem but, the tournament guys will have restrictions placed on them. And you can gaurantee, their will be at least one and usually two radar guns pointing at the start of your event and or hiding behind an island waiting to catch those evil bass fishermen. Is this not profiling???

CLA has numbers that states Candlewood lake has the most fishing tournaments per year of ALL lake in New England. This should really come as no suprise due to it being the largest body of water in southern New England, located in one of the most highly populated locations in these United States. Yet, I have heard Mr Callahan speak about "being taken advantage of", implying that fishermen from around and within the area all are getting a free ride, courtesy of the CLA.

It would just be nice to see the DEP's budget increased an incredible amount and have the CT Department of Environmental Protection take over patrol issues on that lake. More patrols by DEP would free up cash for the CLA to do other, productive types of work on the lake.
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