Wetlands need a brake

Over the past 200 years, the country has lost half of its wetlands. Even in this era of environmental awareness, the rate has accelerated from 60,000 acres a year in 1998 to 80,000 a year in 2009.

This matters because wetlands filter water for plants and animals that are integral parts of the food chain and provide rest stops for migratory birds. They also serve as a sponge in storms, protecting people and property.

Some of New Jersey's wetlands have the misfortune of being near its popular beach towns. Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the season when tourists show up en masse with boats and personal watercraft to whiz past fragile mud islands and marshes, slapping them with waves and speeding their erosion. And that's on top of the beating wetlands take from waves and winds.

Every sailor knows there isn't much people can do about wind and waves. But we can control the damage vessels do. That's why New Jersey should consider a speed limit for boats near marshes and other environmentally sensitive areas. Slowing boats would reduce erosion while promoting safety.

Boat speed limits have been imposed by towns along the Long Island Sound in New York and Connecticut. In Florida's Biscayne Bay, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is developing a conservation program that includes reduced boat speeds. North Carolina's New Hanover County prohibits personal watercraft within 25 feet of marshes and limits speeds to 5 m.p.h. near bird sanctuaries.

Excessive speed isn't just an environmental issue. It's also one of the top five factors in fatal recreational boating accidents, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Last year, the Coast Guard reported 4,064 recreational boating accidents involving 610 deaths, 2,678 injuries, and about $39 million in damage. Fatalities were up 10 percent over the prior year. Less serious accidents, particularly those that don't require hospitalization, are significantly underreported.

Personal watercraft - Jet Skis and the like - are a particular problem because they are often rented to people without much experience or safety instruction.

State police monitor recreational waterways in New Jersey, and some Shore towns send out their own patrols. But it's harder to enforce speed restrictions on water than on land. Safe boating speeds depend partly on what a captain considers necessary to maintain headway. Giving police more enforceable guidelines has been discussed in Trenton but hasn't gone far. One proposal called on boaters to repair the damage they do to marshes to help them understand the consequences of speeding.

The Department of Environmental Protection should work with state police to determine low-speed zones that can be enforced to protect people, property, and the state's precious natural resources.