OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[SouthIdahoGary]

Any boat, both motorized vessels and non-motorized, entering the waters of Idaho is REQUIRED to contribute to the Idaho Invasive Species Fund (IISF). The Idaho Department of Agriculture is responsible for management of the IISF program. The fees generated from the sale of IISF stickers will fund vessel inspections, washing stations and informational materials that will assist Idaho with preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species. An explanation is available at this link:

http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/idahoinvasivespeciesfund.aspx

And you can purchase online or by mail at:

http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/stickerpurchase.aspx

The Western Whitewater Association (Our Safety boat guys) are a registered vendor and will have stickers available at registration.

Also the Dept of Agriculture is planning to be present and to inspect boats before they enter any water in Idaho and after they leave the St. Joe River due to some invasive plant species (milfoil) being present in that waterway that we do not want in the Snake, Clearwater or Salmon Rivers. So expect an inspection before and after the St Joe legs of the race for all boats-safety, race and pre-runners.

[SouthIdahoGary]

For those planning on coming to Idaho early to prerun and bring equipment down early, please note that you are best served by being inspected at that time.

As far as inspections, if folks are coming from the north or through Lewiston, please give Tom Woolf a call and he will coordinate an inspection with you if it’s necessary. His cell number is 208-608-3404.

Otherwise, our state inspection information number is 877-336-8676. Regardless, that number will get you an inspection no matter where you are coming from.

For more information about the statute and the program, please utilize the ISDA website:

http://www.agri.idaho.gov/Categories/Environment/InvasiveSpeciesCouncil/indexInvSpCouncil.php

Thank you for all your help as we, in the State of Idaho, try and combat the threat of invasive species and their attendant damage.

[SouthIdahoGary]

After the St Joe legs and subsequent inspections, you will have some paperwork that will need to be presented before putting a boat in the Snake. The State plans on having a team in place at Lewiston to give everyone a quick once over and check earlier paperwork.

[SouthIdahoGary]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Matt Voile, ISDA

208-863-1559

February 24, 2012



Early season watercraft inspection station intercepts two mussel-fouled boats

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced that mandatory watercraft inspection stations are now open in Idaho. The stations are concentrated at the state line and many are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., seven days a week.

Stations began opening in early February, and the program has already intercepted 2 mussel-fouled boats at the I-90 station near Wallace, Idaho.

Idaho has had a watercraft inspection program in place since 2009. More than 100,000 boats have been inspected to date. Thirty eight mussel-fouled boats have been intercepted and decontaminated before they launched into Pacific Northwest waters.



The program aims to inspect boats that are entering the region from mussel-infested states. Two mussel-fouled boats from the Great Lakes were intercepted the first 12 days of station operation on

I-90. This indicates that potentially infested boats are being transported outside of the traditional boating season. This is of concern to the Pacific Northwest states.


“Idaho’s watercraft inspection program underscores the importance of preventing these mussels from becoming established in Idaho’s waters,” said Agriculture Director Celia Gould. All of Idaho’s waterbodies have tested negative for these species, but they have been found in waters of other western states, and are causing severe economic and environmental harm in other regions of the country. “We continue to work with our regional partners to prevent these fouled boats from launching in Pacific Northwest waters. Catching two mussel-fouled boats so early in the season is a real wake up call. The more the public is educated about these invaders, the more enthusiastic and vigilant they are in joining efforts to keep them out of the Pacific Northwest.”


Boaters should expect inspections! All boaters must stop at the stations. Watercraft inspectors are looking for high-risk boats that have been in quagga mussel- and zebra mussel-impacted waters such as Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and Lake Pleasant.



If you have launched in a mussel-infested waterbody in the last 30 days, you must have an inspection before you launch in Idaho. For a complete list of infested waters, see: www.invasivespecies.idaho.gov, Call 1-877-336-8676 to schedule a free inspection.



It is important that boaters arrive in Idaho with a clean, drained and dry watercraft



Zebra mussels and quagga mussels are invasive species. They are European in origin and range in size from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, depending on the life stage. They are prolific breeders and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces, fouling freshwater ecosystems and clogging intake pipes that draw water from infested waterbodies. They cause significant maintenance challenges for raw-water systems, requiring millions of dollars annually to treat.



ISDA urges all boaters to take the following steps to prevent the introduction of the mussels to Idaho:

Inspect all exposed surfaces - small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch
Wash the hull thoroughly, preferably with hot water
Remove all plant and animal material
Drain all water and dry all areas
Drain and dry the lower outboard unit
Clean and dry all live wells
Empty and dry any buckets
Dispose of all bait in the trash
Wait five days and keep watercraft dry between launches into different fresh waters


For more information about Idaho’s invasive species program go to www.invasivespecies.idaho.gov or call Matt Voile, Noxious Weed and Invasive Species Manager at 208-863-1559.