Motorboats on Rollins Pond

[rollinscampers]

The DEC is currently revising the Unit Management Plan for Rollins Pond and vicinity. This seems like a good time for those who love quiet waters to make their opinion known. Please read and sign this petition to ban motor boats on this special body of water:

https://www.change.org/p/adirondack-...he-adirondacks

[St.Regis]

Brilliant idea...get rid of more boating opportunities for older folks and people with disabilities. change.org could also go further by demanding DEC to remove the showers, bathrooms, the caretaker's cabin, kids on bikes, loud talk after 8:00 PM, pets, and cut out 90% of the campsites along the shore, then move the remaining ones at least 150' from the water to better my "semi-wilderness" experience!!

[sweeper]

Isn't that called the 'Backcountry'?

You have that, except for the loud talk after 8PM, right around the corner.

Happy to hear the boats are gone.

[Trail Boss]

Brilliant idea...get rid of more boating opportunities for older folks and people with disabilities.

If these old and/or disabled individuals can manage to get a gas-powered boat into Rollins Pond, they probably have the wherewithal to do the same with an electrically-powered boat. The petition suggests making an exemption for boats with electric motors.

I believe the goal is to keep out noisy, smelly, gas/oil burners out of Rollins Pond and not people.

[OntarioSkiBum]

Signed it

[St.Regis]

It seems to me that Rollins is a place where motorists and paddlers have always done well together. This may not be the norm, but I personally have never seen boaters going nuts there. My camping and paddling experiences have never been ruined by excessive boat traffic. It's a nice water, but it certainly is not undeveloped. It is kind of the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, that simply isn't good enough for some. To me it's another opportunity for selfish people - who oppose almost everything - to bitch and stamp out things they hate.

[madison]

Unlike St. Regis, my camping and paddling experiences have frequently been ruined by excessive motorboat traffic. Motors are allowed on more than 90% of accessible waterways in the Adirondacks, so even if this suggested ban were to be enacted, those dependent on motors for their water recreation would have plenty of places to go. And by the way, it hardly seems selfish to ask for a slightly more even split between motorized/non-motorized waters. The motorized crowd has most of it and wants all of it. That seems pretty selfish to me.

[St.Regis]

madison, I'm talking Rollins, not other waters. Have your paddling experiences been ruined on Rollins because of motor boat traffic?

[Bob K]

The gas outboards do make more noise that I'd like, and yes they took away from my camping experience at Rollins some years ago. I drove the extra miles past Fish Creek to get a more tranquil experience for my 3 teenage daughters. As we passed thru Fish creek, all 3 noticed the density + noise there. I got an ear full, of "I hope Rollins isn't like this".

Having Fish creek so close as a "motorized" option makes me support the quiet approach for Rollins (electric allowed).

Are the any NY state campgrounds on motor-less lakes? I've stayed at many and don't recall any. And yes, I bought an electric motor for my tandem canoe specifically to minimize noise pollution.

[tombaisley]

will not sign it

[Hard Scrabble]

It seems to me that Rollins is a place where motorists and paddlers have always done well together. This may not be the norm, but I personally have never seen boaters going nuts there. My camping and paddling experiences have never been ruined by excessive boat traffic. It's a nice water, but it certainly is not undeveloped. It is kind of the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, that simply isn't good enough for some. To me it's another opportunity for selfish people - who oppose almost everything - to bitch and stamp out things they hate.

Modern outboard motors are quiet (when used at trolling speeds) and emit few contaminates.
I would suggest a maximum horsepower (like 10) to eliminate water skiing and jet skis.

[dundee]

Brilliant idea...get rid of more boating opportunities for older folks and people with disabilities...

Not all older and disabled people can be lumped together. I am partially disabled (and old) and want all the Wilderness/motorless I can get. I may never get to some of the more remote places, but I am glad that they are there and are as wild as can be.

[St.Regis]

Bob K, I've seen Fish Creek pretty nuts at times, but never Rollins. Maybe I've just hit it at a time with few boaters. But I've been there pretty often and have never been offended by them. I suspect the hp limit would preclude most water skiing, tubing, and stuff like that. I've not seen a jet ski on it.

madison, you say motor boat users are selfish. Here is a water where small motors are allowed currently, but you seem to want to take this privilege away from them because you prefer a paddle over a motorboat. Excuse me, but who is selfish one? BTW, I can't say that I've ever heard anyone say motors should be allowed on paddle-only waters. Never

Hard scrabble, I've never seen a "big" boat on Rollins. Maybe most are already running 10 hp or less. Don't know. But yes, modern 4 strokes are very quiet and much cleaner that the older 2 strokes.

dundee, You are lucky. There are lots of my older friends that can barely sit in a big boat with lots of room to move, let alone get in or out of or sit in a canoe. We aren't talking about someplace in the middle of nowhere. You drive up to your campsite and are 10 feet from a paved access drive that leads you to comfort stations, showers, volleyball courts, etc. Rip out the roads and all the attendant features and make it so people have to hike in. That'll help to get it a little wilder for you.

[Justin]

Brilliant idea...get rid of more boating opportunities for older folks and people with disabilities. change.org could also go further by demanding DEC to remove the showers, bathrooms, the caretaker's cabin, kids on bikes, loud talk after 8:00 PM, pets, and cut out 90% of the campsites along the shore, then move the remaining ones at least 150' from the water to better my "semi-wilderness" experience!!

Brilliant post....
Resceptfully, I think you may be exaggerating a bit here.
There are far more opportunities for motor boats than there are for quiet motorless paddles in the Adirondacks.
Petition signed & donated.

[dundee]

Rip out the roads and all the attendant features and make it so people have to hike in. That'll help to get it a little wilder for you.

Sounds good to me!