Legislators seek input on raising horsepower limit

The proposed increase would improve safety, a state official says.
& lt;a href=mailto:milliken@vindy.com & gt;By PETER MILLIKEN & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
ANDOVER -- Ohio lawmakers whose districts encompass Pymatuning Lake say they want to hear more from the public before asking the Legislature to increase horsepower on the water.
More than 100 people from northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania attended a Wednesday meeting on the horsepower issue, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, at Pymatuning Valley High School.
So far, no bill has been introduced in the Ohio Legislature to raise the limit from 10 to 20 horsepower for boats on Pymatuning Lake.
Wanted to hear more
Neither state Rep. L. George Distel of Conneaut, D-99th, nor state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, whose districts encompass the entire Ohio shoreline of the lake, expressed an opinion, saying they wanted to hear more public comment.
Distel said he has fished at Pymatuning Lake for more than 25 years and knows the lake well.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill, which took effect March 24, that would raise the limit from 10 hp to 20 hp. Because the lake is in both states, Ohio must enact the same legislation for the increase to take effect.
Distel circulated copies of a draft bill mirroring the Pennsylvania legislation, which he said he had asked the Ohio Legislative Service Commission to prepare. If he were to introduce the bill, he said, he doubted it could move quickly enough to take effect this boating season.
Opinions
Many people gave their opinions at the meeting.
"When the storms and the winds come up, a lot of these boaters can't get off the lake," said Jerry Dunlap, captain of the Andover Fire Department's water rescue dive team. "With the added horsepower, hopefully, that will allow them to do that."
Dunlap favors the increase, but others think the increase is unnecessary.
"The safety issue -- I don't buy that. When you have rough seas, you're not going to go fast. Horsepower is not a substitute for good seamanship," said Jim Cunningham of Colebrook, who said he has been boating on large lakes for 42 years and goes out on Pymatuning in a canoe.
"It looks to me like this is a money deal for more taxes and registrations and license fees for the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania," Cunningham asserted.
Jeanette Mortensen of Andover, who fishes at the lake, said she thinks an increase to 20 hp might be feasible on the south end of the lake, but not on its north end, which is shallower and has many stumps and other underwater obstructions. The causeway near Andover could be the dividing line, she said.
ODNR decision
"We felt that, only going up to 20 [hp] would not change the character of this lake. It helped improve safety. It didn't solve all the problems of safety for the large boats, but it did help," explained Ronald T. Kus, business group manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation.
ODNR reached its decision after receiving comments, pro and con, from many people, he said.
Like the Pennsylvania measure, the draft of the Ohio bill would bar water-skiing, surfboarding, and towed inflatable devices and raise fines for certain watercraft violations from $50 to $500.