RI boat fees going up to remove wrecks

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island boaters are facing some higher fees as the state tries to remove abandoned vessels from local waters.

The state is adding a fee of between $2 and $20 to the cost of a boat registration beginning in March, 2013. The amount of the fee will be based on the size of the boat.

The state Department of Environmental Management expects the fees will raise about $100,000 a year for a fund that will be used to remove navigational obstructions such as abandoned boats.

J. Michael Keyworth, the legislative chairman of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, tells the Providence Journal (http://bit.ly/LmnNSK) that the number of abandoned vessels has been rising.

He blames a poor economy, which he says leaves some without the resources to care for their vessels.

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Information from: The Providence Journal

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