The Boater Education Card signifies that the holder has completed a boating safety course or equivalency exam. The Marine Board adopted administrative rules in October implementing the details of the program. All it asks is that people show they understand state and federal boating laws, clean boating practices and safety and courtesy on Oregon's waterways. Ask commercial shippers hauling hazardous materials to or from our busy ports. It only takes one misguided recreational boater to send a barge aground with potentially serious damage to the environment.
Education can reduce that risk.
This law has generated a surprising amount of support from Oregon boaters. It is time to take boating safety seriously. Nearly 20,000 boaters agree and have taken a boating safety course in the last year. Because the Mandatory Boater Education Program phases in between 2003 and 2009, it simply cannot be viewed as the quick fix. Instead, we should view it as an investment - one which will save lives and reduce conflict on our increasingly busy waterways.