Dear Ms. Whitfield,

I am writing about the new launch permit rule your waterfront services department is proposing for recreational paddlers at the public boat launch. I definitely agree that some order is needed to keep the dock safe and usable for everyone. However, I disagree with one major point. Your department is proposing a "single craft permit" rule that would allow each permit holder to put only one canoe or kayak in the water at a time, unless the other paddlers are immediate family members. Your logic is simply that a crowded dock and many boats at once do not mix, and that fewer craft per permit will ease congestion. You state that this rule has done much to reduce accidents at launches in other municipalities. There is simply no conclusive evidence to support this claim.