The Stewards of Guntersville Lake act as neither advocate nor opponent of this sport, and it is certainly not our intention to eliminate it (or diminish any enjoyment of those who participate), but to develop common courtesies and regulations for the benefit of everyone concerned and stand up for fair and equal rights for all.

The peace and tranquility of the banks of Guntersville Lake are slowly disappearing with the growing popularity of Airboat Bowfishing.

Residents of Scottsboro and Jackson County have for some time tolerated the presence of these large, noisy crafts along their quiet waterways at night, but as the sport has grown in volume, so has the size of the boats and their noise level, as well as increased trespass on property and privacy.

Without regulation and control over the deafening noise and blinding lights associated with the sport, specifically during night time hours, citizens have no legal means to voice complaints and concerns about those who blatantly disrespect others and endanger lives.

Enthusiasts of the sport, residents and all those who use the lake can have a mutual understanding if conditions are in place to allow it. Decibel limitations, red zones and/or curfews on night fishing, etc., are effective steps in the right direction and will certainly improve conditions over the free reign airboats have and are taking advantage of.

We urge you to read the petition below, directed toward State of Alabama conservation authorities. Every signature helps make a difference. We also urge you to share this petition with social media, speak out and voice your concerns on this matter to your local authorities and officials, in hopes we will be heard and action will be taken before mishaps occur and the scope of this problem becomes unmanageable.

Please sign this petition and support our cause to establish and enforce regulations on the sport of airboat bowfishing for the continued safety and preservation of Guntersville Lake and all its inhabitants.

Stewards of Guntersville Lake - [email protected]

PETITION:

TO: COMMISSIONER OF CONSERVATION N. GUNTER GUY, JR.,

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION

CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD

SENATOR STEVE LIVINGSTON

REPRESENTATIVE TOMMY HANES

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your time and consideration concerning a growing problem on Guntersville Lake.

Concerned citizens of Scottsboro and Jackson County are troubled about the expanding use of airboats on our lake and the safety concerns and noise nuisance these airboats are causing. The number and size of these boats are growing in leaps and bounds; bigger, faster and brighter lights are a deep concern to us all.

Most noticeable of course is the noise level these boats are creating, not from the engines but from the props themselves. The noise levels rival those normally heard at large airports. Magnifying this nuisance is the fact that these boats are used mostly at night and on into the early morning hours. We feel that the noise levels and the unsafe lighting used by many of these boats are in direct violation of several of the rules and regulations governing the use of watercraft on our lakes and rivers.

Another concern is the unsafe condition created by the huge bright lights these watercraft use during the times they are actually cruising the shorelines in search of fish to shoot. Not only does the light enter our homes and invade our privacy, but they are creating a dangerous situation for themselves and other boats. We know those of you who have been on the lakes and rivers at night realize that when these bright lights are in use, your vision is limited to the immediate area and a person is not able to see outside of the area being lit. Even more dangerous is the fact that other watercraft are also blinded by the lights and cannot maneuver safely in some of the more narrow channels, finding it difficult to see other vessels in the area.

Also of concern to us is the dumping of dead fish back into the lake and more especially at some of our boat ramps. We have also personally witnessed these types of airboats being used to flare flocks of duck and geese from off the refuge and into an area where it is legal to hunt.

We as a group of concerned citizens and stewards of our lake request that this committee investigate the use of airboats on Guntersville Lake and implement regulations that will address these issues and improve the safety and continued use of our lake for all parties involved.

We are asking this committee to adopt regulations that would place time slots where airboats may operate. We ask also that you adopt regulations that would address the use of airboats in heavily populated areas of our lake, and that guidelines be set to regulate the noise levels that are emitted from the props as well as the engines of these boats. We also ask that you initiate guidelines for the use of lights on these type boats so they do not pose a danger to themselves and to others.

We ask that the proper authorities set and regulate guidelines concerning the use of airboats on Guntersville Lake that will make our waters safer and more enjoyable for all. We consider it a simple request that they exercise common courtesy to the residents and boaters of the areas in which they hunt, as this has not only become a disconcerting issue for many but is causing an increasingly negative impact on the environment.

Thank you again for your consideration of this petition and its supporters.

Stewards of Guntersville Lake - [email protected]