Out of state boater decal - invasive species

[persistence]

Hi all, someone just told me I need this for a boat registered outside NH. it’s the first I’ve heard of it. Is it something new?

TIA


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[burgerunh]

This is definitely true in Maine. I have never heard of such a thing in NH.

[radioman]

2 yrs ago a law was passed to require this but as of this date never enforced!!!

[Descant]

Originally Posted by radioman

2 yrs ago a law was passed to require this but as of this date never enforced!!!

Various bills on this matter have been proposed, including stickers for Kayaks, canoes etc. who user the facilities paid for through power boat registration fees. I don't recall any actually being enacted. I'm curious as to the bill number you think passed and was signed by the governor.

[radioman]

Good question.will look into this and report

[persistence]

Thanks. I see it as just another fee. My boat is registered in ma. I keep it at the cabin for the summer and only launch when I’m there.

So a few questions.

how does a $20 sticker prevent me from bring invasive species ?

Is this only for freshwater?

Does this mean I’m supposed to buy another sticker for my other boat that I may bring for a week? I’d only be using one at a time, only 1 would be in the water.


https://nhdes.usedirect.com/NewHampshireWeb/


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[radioman]

Rsa 487;43 2019

[sluggo]

From what I was told it will be required for any boats registered out of state to be used in NH state waters and will be enforced by the marine patrol.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by radioman

Rsa 487;43 2019

487:43 Aquatic Invasive Species Decal. –
I. No person shall operate a powerboat registered in another state on New Hampshire public waters without displaying a New Hampshire aquatic invasive species decal from the department of environmental services.
II. Boats operating on interstate waters shared with the state of Maine shall be exempt from the requirement in paragraph I if they are displaying the equivalent aquatic invasive species decal issued by that state. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be valid unless the state of Maine enacts legislation that is substantially the same as the decal requirements in this section and gives reciprocal exemptions to a boat displaying the New Hampshire aquatic invasive species decal.
III. A decal shall be purchased from the department for $20. The revenue from each decal shall be distributed to the lake restoration and preservation fund established in RSA 487:25 in the same proportions as the addition to the boat fee under RSA 487:25, I.
IV. The New Hampshire aquatic invasive species decal shall:
(a) Be displayed within 3 inches of a boat's valid registration decal.
(b) Expire on December 31 each year.
(c) Change color each calendar year. The color of the decal shall not conflict with the New Hampshire registration validation decal in any year.
(d) Measure 3 inches by 3 inches.
V. Failure to purchase or display the New Hampshire aquatic invasive species decal in accordance with this section shall be a violation. For purposes of his section, the boat operator shall have 48 hours to demonstrate compliance with this section. The boat operator may present proof of purchase with a valid transaction date as proof of compliance.
VI. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, and $250 for any subsequent offense. The authority to enforce these sections shall extend to all peace officers in the state of New Hampshire. All fines collected under this paragraph shall be paid to department of safety for deposit into the navigation and safety fund established in RSA 270-E:6-a.
VII. The commissioner may enter into contracts with individuals, public or private corporations, or institutions for assistance in developing, implementing, and issuing the aquatic invasive species decal. The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to any matters necessary to implement the provisions of this subdivision.

Source. 2019, 114:1, eff. July 1, 2019.

[8gv]

It occurs to me that fees are becoming an invasive species...

[Descant]

Slickcraft, Thank you. It appears. for this to actually be effective, Maine has to enact a parallel/reciprocal law, Has that happened? I wonder how many people are actually affected by this?

[persistence]

Originally Posted by 8gv

It occurs to me that fees are becoming an invasive species...

Right? $20 / year. My boats registered in MA. I already buy a fishing license yearly.

I guess I just don’t understand what the $20 will do to prevent me from bringing some invasive species into the lake. Tbh it’s more likely my trailer or vehicle would have something snagged on it.

And as I understand it, I don’t need a NH Reg because I am not in the water for the consecutive
# of days. Not trying to be difficult but it is a little annoying.


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[Lakegeezer]

Originally Posted by persistence

I guess I just don’t understand what the $20 will do to prevent me from bringing some invasive species into the lake.

First, it helps fund invasive species removal. The divers that pull up the weeds have high overhead costs due to OSHA regs. Consider it a clean-up fee. Second, by having the sticker, you might remember the topic and check your boat and trailer now and then.

[8gv]

I regularly fish in VT and occasionally in CT.

More than the money, this is just a pain in the butt.

Somehow I must acquire a sticker for each of the three vessels I might take out of state.

Will I have to show up somewhere during "business" hours (whatever they are in C-19 paranoia land) to get one?

Can I get these on line?

Will the fee be "enhanced" by a third party vendor?

These are my concerns going elsewhere but I'd bet those considering a trip to NH will be thinking the same.

[TiltonBB]

I know for many years they have had volunteers at the Glendale docks quite often questioning people launching boats about the last body of water the boat was in.

I have taken boats over to Lake George several times and they have an inspection building at the launch ramps that you must stop at for approval. The inspectors even have you lower the drive to drain the water out of it prior to launching.

Whatever helps to keep the lake clean is a good idea. It is a resource that we would all miss if the water quality declined to the point that it was cloudy or picked up an odor. The sticker fee and registration fees seem like a small price to play for preservation.

[FlyingScot]

Milfoil is a huge environmental and economic issue--millions are spent each year in NH on mitigation. All of that milfoil came from boats that had been out of state.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by 8gv

I regularly fish in VT and occasionally in CT.

More than the money, this is just a pain in the butt.

Somehow I must acquire a sticker for each of the three vessels I might take out of state.

Will I have to show up somewhere during "business" hours (whatever they are in C-19 paranoia land) to get one?

Can I get these on line?

Will the fee be "enhanced" by a third party vendor?

These are my concerns going elsewhere but I'd bet those considering a trip to NH will be thinking the same.

Are they registered in another State? If not, the RSA doesn't cover them.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by persistence

Right? $20 / year. My boats registered in MA. I already buy a fishing license yearly.

I guess I just don’t understand what the $20 will do to prevent me from bringing some invasive species into the lake. Tbh it’s more likely my trailer or vehicle would have something snagged on it.

And as I understand it, I don’t need a NH Reg because I am not in the water for the consecutive
# of days. Not trying to be difficult but it is a little annoying.


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Number of consecutive days? You mean the 48 hours to show compliance? That allows you 48 hours to show compliance. If you place a boat in NH waters... that are not interstate with Maine... even for one moment... you must have the sticker.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Descant

Slickcraft, Thank you. It appears. for this to actually be effective, Maine has to enact a parallel/reciprocal law, Has that happened? I wonder how many people are actually affected by this?

The Maine portion only covers the interstate waterways shared by the two States.

[chachee52]

So If I have a boat on a lake that is in MA and NH and I live in MA, to go into the NH part of the lake I have to have the sticker?
I am just wondering, I know that I need the NH boating license in such a case.

[8gv]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Are they registered in another State? If not, the RSA doesn't cover them.

The boats are registered here in NH.

CT requires a sticker.

While I have not checked, I suspect VT will require it as well.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by 8gv

The boats are registered here in NH.

CT requires a sticker.

While I have not checked, I suspect VT will require it as well.

''No person shall operate a powerboat registered in another state on New Hampshire public waters..."

You're covered on NH waterways.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by chachee52

So If I have a boat on a lake that is in MA and NH and I live in MA, to go into the NH part of the lake I have to have the sticker?
I am just wondering, I know that I need the NH boating license in such a case.

Is there a waterway that can be navigated that reaches into both?

[chachee52]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Is there a waterway that can be navigated that reaches into both?

Long Pond in Pelham and Dracut/Tyngsboro, is the one that I know people on that would be affected by this. Once every 2 years (give or take) MP shows up and grabs a bunch of MA registered boats and asks them for a license.

[Blue Thunder]

The invasive species sticker has been a requirement in Maine since 2002. The fees cover the costs of regional efforts to eradicate milfoil from affected lakes and ponds. Here on Sebago, the Lakes Environmental Association operates a specially outfitted boat that has special pumps and sifting devices. A diver in the water carefully pulls the plants from the bottom which are then sucked up the hose to a series of aluminum screens. The milfoil is then bagged for disposal. It works quite well. The sticker for out of State boats is $45 per year, is mandatory and is aggressively enforced. For those that register in Maine, it’s included in the registration fee.
Milfoil spreads aggressively. If you have signs of it anywhere, it should be eradicated early on. It can ruin the aquatic life of a small lake, pond or cove very quickly.

[8gv]

To clarify and perhaps belabor my point...

I live in NH.

My boats are registered in NH.

I do not need the extra sticker to use my boats in NH.

But...

I also take those boats to VT and CT.

In my own in-concise way I was expressing my annoyance with the task of having to acquire a sticker or two to boat in those two states.

Then I typed this:

"These are my concerns going elsewhere but I'd bet those considering a trip to NH will be thinking the same."

Which expresses the possibility that boaters with boats registered in other states who wish to boat in NH may find this to be a pain in the butt.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by 8gv

To clarify and perhaps belabor my point...

I live in NH.

My boats are registered in NH.

I do not need the extra sticker to use my boats in NH.

But...

I also take those boats to VT and CT.

In my own in-concise way I was expressing my annoyance with the task of having to acquire a sticker or two to boat in those two states.

Then I typed this:

"These are my concerns going elsewhere but I'd bet those considering a trip to NH will be thinking the same."

Which expresses the possibility that boaters with boats registered in other states who wish to boat in NH may find this to be a pain in the butt.

I bet they would be more upset if NH required all the boats in the State to be registered in the State of NH. Even more upset if non-residents had to pay higher registration fees than residents... even though boats are the only off-highway recreational vehicle that I know of that have some form of reciprocity.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I bet they would be more upset if NH required all the boats in the State to be registered in the State of NH. Even more upset if non-residents had to pay higher registration fees than residents... even though boats are the only off-highway recreational vehicle that I know of that have some form of reciprocity.

Many years ago that was the case. If you had Massachusetts bow numbers, and an annual MA registration sticker, NH would accept those numbers but you were required to buy the NH registration sticker and put it before your bow numbers.

When that changed, I actually got stopped on Winnipesaukee because I had not removed the old NH sticker. I explained that I understood that Massachusetts registrations were now good and the MP officer said yes, but you didn't take the old (unneeded) NH sticker off the boat. I think the MP does a good job but in my opinion that was a little weak.

[SAB1]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Many years ago that was the case. If you had Massachusetts bow numbers, and an annual MA registration sticker, NH would accept those numbers but you were required to buy the NH registration sticker and put it before your bow numbers.

When that changed, I actually got stopped on Winnipesaukee because I had not removed the old NH sticker. I explained that I understood that Massachusetts registrations were now good and the MP officer said yes, but you didn't take the old (unneeded) NH sticker off the boat. I think the MP does a good job but in my opinion that was a little weak.

I don’t recall those stickers but I do a lot of the license plates they required on the stern. Love seeing them hanging on garage wall…

[bilproject]

Does anyone know the current status of this law. They were not in forcing it last boating season?

[The Real BigGuy]

I noticed on my NH boat registration there are the following state fees: a milfoil fee, a public access fee, an exotic aquatic plants fee, a search and rescue fee, and a “boat fee” (total of about $30) in addition to the registration fee. Not sure requiring out of state registered boats to buy a decal really bothers me.


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[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by bilproject

Does anyone know the current status of this law. They were not in forcing it last boating season?

I believe that it must be active or the RSA would listed it as repealed.

[persistence]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I believe that it must be active or the RSA would listed it as repealed.

No idea, but I’ve passed plenty of marine patrol and no one’s ever mentioned it until now. I guess I’ll just get the sticker. It is kind of a pain if I bring my other boat up for just a week and have to get a sticker for it also. Some sort of receipt or proof would be nice to use interchangeably.


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