Participants in this year’s U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle should be aware of a new law that requires a permit for certain manually powered boats.

The annual Pole Pedal Paddle, a popular multisport race from Mount Bachelor to Bend that this year is set for May 15, includes a 2-kilometer water stage during which competitors paddle boats such as kayaks, canoes and paddle boards along a stretch of the Deschutes River in Bend. Under the new law, any such manually powered boats 10 feet or greater in length are required to carry an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit.

The annual permit costs $7 and can be purchased at any Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife license agent or online at or.outdoorcentral.us/or/license.

According to the Oregon State Marine Board, the new law is designed to help protect Oregon’s waterways from invasive species, and failure to carry a permit is a Class D violation, which includes a $142 fine.

Chuck Kenlan, director of the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation, which organizes the PPP, said PPP race officials are advising racers to purchase permits, but he added that acquiring a permit is not part of the PPP registration process. Race officials will not be checking boats for permits, Kenlan added.

For more information on the permit, visit www.boatoregon.com. For more information on the PPP, visit www.mbsef.org.