Park Service Sets Watercraft Rules

Personal watercraft such as jet skis were permanently banned at three national seashores
and two national recreation areas last month. The decision to close the five sites to
motorized watercraft followed a lengthy review and extensive public comments, said Deputy
Director Randy Jones. The five sites are Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts;
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore, Indiana; Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia; and Whiskeytown
National Recreation Area, California. A hearing on a watercraft-industry suit challenging
the ban is scheduled. Personal watercraft are high-speed, gas-powered vessels, usually less
than 16 feet in length, operated from a sitting, standing or kneeling position.