paddleboard

I read this morning that, beginning Aug. 1, a person must be able to show a permit to legally “operate” a stand-up paddle board or kayak or any nonmotorized craft over 10 feet in length on any of Oregon’s waterways. $17 or face a $115 fine. Let’s see … if one owns a kayak and a paddle board, only one permit may be needed. I guess it can be carried in a swimsuit pocket (good luck, ladies in your bikinis). Maybe buy two of these things and tape one to each vessel. Oregon legislators decided to create this new piece of juvenile, invasive and cumbersome bureaucracy to raise an expected $1 million. Really. Another permit to use public property.

This makes me speculate on planning an afternoon outing to go hiking (or biking, depending on what is permitted on my chosen trail … Let’s see, how do I find out…?) I think I may need a checklist. Do I need a parking permit for the state or the federal forest parking lot? Do I have the waterway permit for my paddle board and my kayak? Which trail am I going to use to get to the lake … state trail permit or federal permit? Can I bring my bike or is it prohibited on the planned trail? What if I change my mind and want to stop at a different parking lot and use a different trail on the way? What, God forbid, if I make a wrong turn on the trail and don’t have the correct permit to get back to my car?

On a more serious note, Oregon’s outdoor activities are part of what makes us want to live here. The fact that the trails and lakes are (were) equally accessible to all income groups and ethnicities is what our “progressive” movement is all about. Having to purchase permits, organize them, plan our outings in accommodation of various government agency restrictions all under threat of a large financial penalty is not “progressive” … it is oppressive. What is next? Maybe the cost of building and maintaining bike lanes should be borne by the people who ride bikes, right? Should the fees be greater for wider tires, heavier bikes. Maybe more for electric bikes because those who can afford electric bikes probably have higher incomes … Oh, yes, and how about those miscreants that push those heavy baby strollers over my sidewalks. They should have permits and licenses for sure!

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