Last evening I was able to attend the township meeting at Blair Township Offices where the board reluctantly voted to not allow the Boardman River Outfitters do business on the site in question located in Blair Township. The board members cited wording in their ordinance documents and advice from their attorney as to why they had to turn down this business's request to operate a canoe, kayak and tube rental business on the Boardman River. There was no public comment last evening because the time frame for the public to express it's opinions expired after the last board meeting.
Some members of the board chastised those opposed to this business as a limiting factor for the public to enjoy the river and its resources. The decision not to allow this business rested simply on the township ordinance wording.
Regardless of any type of business or impact on the Boardman River there must be a plan in place on how to best manage this resource. With the pending removal of the dams on this watershed, the DNR should take a look at the original river plan outlined in 1976 and take a look at the carrying capacity of this river for public and/or commercial use. There must be a River Stewardship Plan administered by a non-partial party to outline the further development and responsible management of this watershed.
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