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RBAW Monthly Newsletter Special Summer Edition- August 2024 -
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Save the Date!
Our 2024 RBAW Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday,
November 9th at the Tacoma Yacht Club - a Zoom
webinar option will also be available. The Annual Meeting is that of the
Organizational Members of RBAW (yacht and boating clubs). Our non-affiliated
RBAW Members are also welcome to attend. Stay tuned for the email event announcement
and agenda. |
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Washington Recreational Boater - Pumpout Facility Assessment
RBAW and a coalition of partners were able to identify funding in the 2023 WA legislative session to help Washington State Parks update their statewide recreational pumpout facilities assessment to identify current capabilities and needs for recreational boaters This confidential survey seeks to collect key information from recreational boaters that will aid in future plans and investments to support fixed and mobile services.
This survey should take you < 10 minutes, is very user friendly if you’re on your mobile device . . . and if you complete the survey, you can enter a drawing to win a $250 Visa gift card. Thanks in advance for completing this survey, and feel free to forward this on to fellow boaters! |
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An Expansive Summer for MindTheZone
MindTheZone, RBAW's initiative to raise awareness about the five seaplane advisory buoys on Lake Union, has had a measurable impact this summer. It's been another busy summer on the lake with boaters of all kinds participating in the fun! With increased usage of the lake, the MindTheZone team continues to spread the message of awareness, courtesy, and safety.
Along with MindTheZone's local business partners sharing the message to their customers, the MindTheZone team has doubled its public outreach efforts from last year. Our digital efforts continue to have an expansive reach, with our 15-second awareness video averaging 63,000 views per day – and we've reached over 1 million total views on YouTube!!! We've also used advertisements in print publications including The Stranger, Seattle Gay News and NW Yachting Magazine to reach more people. Through these efforts, we've seen a noticeable increase in awareness of the seaplane advisory buoys by lake users. With a few weeks left until Labor Day, help us keep everyone safe on Lake Union - for signage or other materials for your business, marina, yacht club, paddle group, etc., contact MindTheZone@RBAW.org. For more information, visit mindthezone.org. |
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Watercraft Excise Tax - Annual Rulemaking
As part of RBAW’s 2024 Legislative Priorities for boaters, we are working to make the annual watercraft excise tax depreciation schedule fairer for boaters that have owned the same vessel for 15-years or more. As part of these efforts, please click HERE to read RBAW's comments to the Department of Revenue’s rulemaking relating to WAC 458-20-23801 and the watercraft excise tax depreciation schedule (CR 101 / WSR 24-14-090). Additionally, RBAW President Bob Wise attended the August 6 hearing where he personally delivered these comments.
This rulemaking is the first step in the annual process that the Department of Revenue (DoR) is required by law to do every year. The next meeting for the CR 102 stage will be in the fall where RBAW should see their proposed rule in advance of the CR 102 meeting. |
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Get Your FREE West Puget Sound Mobil Pumpout
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RBAW meeting with the State’s Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC)
During the 2023 legislative session, RBAW was successful in getting language added to the state operating budget requiring the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC) to review activities supporting recreational boating in Washington State. This study reviews recreational boating in Washington, focused on the revenue implications of the recreational boating sector, including taxes and revenue boaters pay to the state, and how the state invests in the recreational boating industry. The last study was completed over 10-years ago and RBAW felt an update in revenue and investment was needed. RBAW recently met with JLARC staff to discuss this study, and identified areas JLARC could focus on for this study (taxes boaters pay, how the state invests in the sector, etc.). JLARC expects to complete their study in the Spring of 2025. |
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WA State Parks to Increase Moorage Fee's
Amid increasing operating costs, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has decided to increase its mooring and camping fees beginning in 2025 to better support its operations.
Parks manages more than 8,500 feet of moorage at 40 marine parks across the state - as well as 6,400 campsites. The agency is funded from a mix of state revenue and user fees, with user fee revenue making up roughly two-thirds of its operating budget. Parks depends on visitor fees to maintain moorage and camping infrastructure and provide a high level of customer service and recreational access. |
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New Rules for Bringing your Dog back into the US
There have been recent changes to CDC rules for bringing
your dog back into the US – and those changes have also been recently updated,
and somewhat simplified. Effective August 1st,
dogs must be microchipped, and have up to date rabies vaccines – both must have
documentation onboard to support. For
dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries (example,
Canada) for the last 6 months or less, the one form you will need is the CDC
Dog Import Form, which should take a few minutes to complete. |
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