boydski wrote:
I can't find the rule either, but it is posted at the Storm King boat launch (citing the applicable code) and the Ranger was VERY firm about it being against the law. Literally, hand on his gun, bellowing at me to "Shut down the motor and step away from the vehicle". I had no idea they had guns until then.
I don't think it helped that the three of us in the truck were all laughing!
I lived this one. Here is the regulation I was cited for about 8 years ago highlighted in
yellow:
I was returning from a fishing trip at Sekiu and stopped to rinse the boat motor and trailer at the Storm King launch.
While I was backed down the ramp, running my motor, I was approached by 2 armed National Park Rangers.
One Ranger pointed to the
"Attention Anglers..blah blah blah..." sign. I said,
"Oh, ok. Sorry, I didn't see the sign." Then he said
, "You're gonna get a $75 ticket. This sort of thing is happening way too much."
I honestly did not see the sign. It was very small and unofficial looking. The rule sounded like a personal agenda to me. Although I wanted to, I had better sense than to argue except for asking a hypothetical;
"If I were to leave the dock then return, would I still get the ticket?" The answer was
"No, that would have been fine." However by this time, I had already pulled out and was parked at the top of the ramp.
I received some legal advice from a couple friends to fight the citation.
So, I drafted a written response, took a day off from work and drove down the the Federal District Court in Tacoma and waited for my turn to talk to the man.
Long story short, the case was dismissed. The judge stated that he knew of no law that prohibited running a boat motor at the launch site and the CFR I was cited for didn't make a lot of sense since gas powered boats are allowed on and at Lake Crescent.
I wonder if they have changed the CFR since then and also wonder how many folks paid the ticket that year and continue to pay it?
-Mark
with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? 
" - Spatman