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Boaters� benefits outweigh cost Marine fees help build Jackson facilities By Dani Dodge HOWARD PRAIRIE LAKE � Boaters may not like paying their marine license fees, but few have quarrels with the way that money is being spent. That�s because a good portion goes right back to Jackson County. "I like the new rest rooms and the docks are in great shape," said Harry MacDuffie, a 78-year-old boater from Medford. "I don�t have any complaints, except sometimes I don�t get as many fish as I�d like." Since 1972, the Oregon State Marine Board has put $1.2 million worth of improvements into projects at Jackson County lakes and rivers, while $32 million has gone to other counties. In Jackson County, the marine board grants are combined with county and Bureau of Land Management funds to build floating docks, handicap-accessible restrooms and new parking lots. The marine board gets the majority of its funds from boat license fees and marine fuel taxes that add up to about $9 million a year. "We are collecting the user-paid funds and returning them in terms of enhancements and services," said Dave Obern, the facilities program manager for the marine board. The board�s biggest expenditure is law enforcement. Jackson County gets about $260,000 each year. "For the size of program and the type of boating, Jackson County is getting a generous portion (of the law enforcement budget)," said Bill Rydblom, the law enforcement program administrator. "There are other programs as big, but Jackson County gets a little more than its share because of the excellent rapport and bang for the buck." The fees also finance maintenance of marine facilities. The marine board spends $34,750 each year helping maintain 12 county marine facilities including Agate Lake, Dodge Bridge, Willow Lake, two sites on the Rogue River, two at Emigrant Lake, and five at Howard Prairie. But it�s the facilities� improvements that boaters notice most. There�s a brand new parking lot at Howard Prairie�s Klum Landing this year, and a new bathroom with showers will be built there this fall, Obern said. With three grants totaling more than $150,000 this biennium alone, Obern said, Jackson County is very competitive when it comes to getting money from the board. "They�ve contributed to every marine improvement we�ve made in the last 10 years,�� said Jackson County Parks Program Manager Paul Korbulic. "From the launch docks and the new boat ramp at Howard Prairie, to the self-lowering docks at Emigrant Lake, to the handicap accessible area in at Shady Cove, they were partners in every project." Although some at Howard Prairie complained about the fees, most said the marine improvements are great. "It seems a lot more like a resort than last time I was here,�� said Meg Russell, 38, of Ashland. She and her husband and daughter hadn�t been to Howard Prairie for about five years. But Monday, they took their sleek red Ski Centurion out for a skiing excursion. "It�s really nice up here," Russell noted. "There�s definitely been improvements." And 10-year-old Caitlyn Russell noticed one of the other improvements the marine board contributed to a few years ago. Displaying enthusiasm but limited experience, she squealed, "It�s the only lake with a floating bathroom!" Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA