WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today sent a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer urging her to scale back restrictions on motorized boating.

“With boating season quickly approaching, we believe that motorized boating can be done safely and responsibility while following social distancing and the CDC’s guidelines and for COVID19,” Upton wrote. “Michiganders can get on a small motorboat with their family or a personal watercraft and enjoy the outdoors with minimal risk of coming into contact with those outside their home.”

Under the Governor’s current executive order, only self-propelled boats like kayaks or canoes are allowed to be used in Michigan. However, recreational boating has a $617 million economic impact in Michigan’s Sixth Congressional District and supports over 3,400 direct jobs and more than 140 businesses. There are currently over 70,000 registered boats in the District.

The letter to the Governor is available here or below:

Dear Governor Whitmer:

We write to express concern over motorized boating restrictions in your “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order (Executive Order 2020-42). 

As you know, recreational boating in Michigan has an overall annual economic impact of over $7.4 billion that supports over 30,000 jobs and over 1,400 businesses within the state. While we applaud your decision to allow public boating facilities to remain open and the use of selfpropelled boats like kayaks or canoes, we ask that you consider scaling back the restrictions on motorized boating. 

With boating season quickly approaching, we believe that motorized boating can be done safely and responsibility while following social distancing and the CDC’s guidelines and for COVID19. Michiganders can get on a small motorboat with their family or a personal watercraft and enjoy the outdoors with minimal risk of coming into contact with those outside their home.  

Recreational boating plays a key role in our local economies and banning motorized access will take a heavy toll. Additionally, we encourage you to engage with stakeholders in the recreational boating community to ensure safe, responsible boating practices as Michigan navigates this crisis.

We appreciate your leadership as we work together to respond to the economic fallout from this pandemic. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,