The state’s derelict vessel law, revised this year by the
Legislature, will oil the gears of a state program that disposes of
abandoned vessels throughout Puget Sound and along the Columbia
River.
Legal action is pending against the
180-foot New Star, which was scheduled to remain at the Port Ludlow
Marina for a few days but has been there since October. /
Photo courtesy of DNR
For some reason, Washington state and Kitsap County in
particular seem to attract more than their share of junk vessels.
If you are on or near the water, you may spot these old boats
grounded on the beach or else abandoned at anchor.
Some of these ugly boats are still seaworthy and just need some
loving care. If the owners act responsibly and find safe moorage or
else move their boat from place to place, they will probably never
have to deal with the state’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program.
Otherwise, recent changes in the law will allow the process to
grind on more quickly.
Check out my recent stories in the Kitsap Sun on:
Melissa Ferris, who heads the state’s program under the
Department of Natural Resources, told me she is pleased with the
final version of the law. For one thing, it imposes a permanent $2
fee on vessel registrations in Washington state, a fee that was
scheduled to drop back to $1 at the end of this year.
The $2 fee has allowed her program to operate with two staffers
instead of one, she said. The Legislature additionally funded a
third person in its jobs bill last year, and the new staffer has
focused his full attention on identifying derelict boats and
completing the paperwork needed for disposal.
Within the past few months, Melissa said, five abandoned vessels
were removed from Poulsbo’s Liberty Bay. Others were pulled out
near Port Orchard and Manchester — not including the numerous
vessels taken into custody in Kitsap County over the past few
years.
“We’ve removed a lot in Kitsap County, but we’ve been generally
busy in a lot of places,” Melissa told me.
Vessel removals are pending in King, Pierce, Thurston,
Jefferson, Clark, Skagit, Island, Whatcom and San Juan counties.
Check out the list of
“Notices of Intent to Obtain Custody” on DNR’s website.
Besides the permanent fee, the revised law removes criminal
sanctions for failing to register your boat. Now, you will be hit
be a fine, much like failing to purchase new car tabs.
Some of the fine goes back to the law-enforcement agency that
writes the ticket, so the result could be increased
enforcement.
From Melissa’s point of view, more boater registration is a good
thing, because much of her time is spent tracking down legal owners
who have not registered their vessels for many years.
In addition, government agencies will be required to inspect and
register their vessels prior to sale. It’s surprising how many
boats on the water these days used to be owned by a state or
federal agency. Government vessels are generally exempt from
registration.
The revised law also authorizes $200,000 to be spent on a pilot
program that will take back boats the owners no longer want. It’s
easier and cheaper to take the boats while they’re floating rather
than dealing with them after they sink. Melissa said she will look
to California, Florida and other states that have experience with
similar take-back programs.
“We want to focus on boats that are the hardest for people to
take care of on their own,” she noted.
Large cabin cruisers and old sailboats with little value are the
most likely candidates for the take-back program, which could be
made permanent if it is successful.
Appeals by boat owners who face losing their boats must be filed
with the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board, instead of the
courts, under the revised law.
Local governments are free to set up their own appeals process
if they get involved with abandoned boats. As always, local
governments that go through the process of disposal can recover 90
percent of the cost from the state program.
Melissa said the revised law encourages boat owners to deal with
boats before they become a problem. “I think it will help move the
whole program from a reaction process to a preventative focus,” she
said.
A work group will tackle some of the more difficult issues that
were not resolved before final passage of House Bill 1245 this
year. Issues include how to make the owners of large vessels
financially responsible for the problems they cause and how to get
more boatyards interested in disposing of large vessels.
Melissa says this positive legislation was the result of a
successful collaboration between state agencies and the bill’s
sponsors: Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, in the House and
Sen. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, in the Senate.
Other information can be found on the website of the
Derelict Vessel Removal Program.
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