ACA works hard to protect high quality, enjoyable paddling opportunities on the nation's waterways. For paddlers, enjoyment is often dependent on the quality of the natural environment and its wildness. Having clean air and water, seeing wildlife, listening to the sounds of nature and escaping from the noise of everyday life are essential parts of these activities.
Paddlers sometimes find their paddling experience diminished and their safety threatened by motorized recreation. This can happen when paddlers and motorized craft operate in close proximity, or when motorized craft operate in naturally rich areas that provide the quite, relaxing, enjoyment of nature that most paddlers seek.
ACA is a national leader in addressing conflicts between paddlers and motorized use. ACA has worked to limit use of motorized craft in Wilderness areas such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We also played a role in the National Park Service's decision (NPS) to prohibit the use of personal watercraft (PWC) on most NPS waterways, and have supported other initiatives to ensure that paddlers can enjoy their surroundings while on the water.
