Law Bans Seaplane Operations From The State's Second-Deepest Lake

In an opinion column appearing in the Oregonian newspaper, the president of the Columbia Seaplane Pilots Association takes issue with recently-passed legislation that bans seaplane operations from Waldo Lake, Oregon's second-deepest lake.

In the column, Aaron Faegre writes that the legislation is an example of intolerance on the part of environmental groups such as Oregon wild and the Sierra Club. He called the passage of the legislation "a sad repetition of the polarized national politics in Washington, D.C. There are enormously important environmental issues that need action," adding that its passage makes the lake a "private playground for these environmental groups' members."

Faegre said that his association attempted to find some common ground in the legislature that would allow seaplanes to use the lake under certain conditions, but were flatly rejected for even clearance to make emergency landings on the lake. He points out that in Alaska and Canada, seaplanes are "recognized as the most environmentally preferred method of accessing remote pristine lakes," and that there has never been a recorded incident of a seaplane destroying a pristine remote lake anywhere in the world.

In the comments, however, there was not a lot of sympathy for the Seaplane Association's position. At least one person writes that Faegre sounds like "another whiny rich guy who is used to getting his way all the time." Another referred to the seaplane association as a "small, elite group" and several said Mr. Faegre was welcome to access the lake by car, just not in his airplane.

(U.S. Forest Service map of Waldo Lake region)

FMI: Faegre Op-Ed