Paddling with your Pet

When the ACA National Office Staff is traveling across the country promoting stewardship and paddlesports education, we are constantly asked: so what else do you do? While that list is pretty long, we recently had the priviledge of contributing to the safety education of a different paddlesports user group, the canines.

On page 44 of the June 2009 issue of DogFancy Magazine the ACA's Safety Education & Instruction Department worked with writers to ensure that content, appropriate for your pet pup as well as the hand that feeds it, was inlcuded in the article, The river wild.

View more paddlesports safety tips from the ACA.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Canoeing in the Pool?

Paddlesports safety can be presented in a variety of ways, including demonstrations in a crystal clear pool. Marty, Paul, Jeremy and I had the privilege of presenting a wide range of canoe and kayak rescues at the 13th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit (IBWSS) in Panama City Beach, FL. This event was sponsored by the National Water Safety Congress and the National Safe Boating Council.

The IBWSS draws regulators and educators from across the United States for several days of "the latest in boating safety". The ACA's presence at this event corresponds with our mission of paddlesports education, whether it is showing the new Canoe Heel Hook Rescue to Fish and Wildlife Officers or discussing the latest paddlesports trends with the Boating Law Administrators from different states.

Whether you paddle a canoe, kayak or raft, in whitewater, blackwater or bluewater, the ACA is constantly working on behalf of you, our valued membership across the country and abroad.

If you are not yet a member, click here to learn more about the mission and values of the ACA.


Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

Don't miss the ECCKF!

Join staff from the ACA National Office at the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, April 17-19 in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Be sure to stop by during our ACA Social on Saturday evening, April 18th from 5 to 6pm: Learn about the latest plans for the ACA’s new National Paddlesports Center, discuss our new stewardship initiatives, tell us about your local paddling club’s needs, take home the latest paddlesports safety information, or simply sit back and enjoy the live music, refreshments, and festive atmosphere.
 
The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival is hosted by the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission and the ACA is a presenting sponsor of the event.

Home sweet home

Conceptual design, National Paddlesports Center

Many of you know that the ACA moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia just over one year ago. The motivation was the opportunity to build the new National Paddlesports Center on sweet piece of property near the historic Rappahannock River. 

While the new facility will serve as our national headquarters, it is much more than that. Designed by architect Maynard Ball (a key architect in the US Fish & Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia), the center will be a hub for all ACA programs--from paddlesport safety to waterway stewardship. 

In these difficult economic times, we do not undertake this project lightly. The National Paddlesports Center will act as a small catalyst for a larger regional ecotourism project in Celebrate Virginia, being developed by Silver Companies, by introducing critical infrastructure needs. After it opens, the center will attract thousands of visi

tors each year, supporting the local ecotourism economy.

Recently I had the chance to speak with Norm Bellingham, chief operating officer of the US Olympic Committee, and 1984 gold medalist in canoeing. He told me: “The pipeline to getting more youth involved in canoeing and kayaking is broken. The ACA is in a perfect position to fix that.” 

We couldn’t agree more. The National Paddlesports Center will serve as a magnet for youth and family participation in canoeing and kayaking. More importantly, it will include state-of-the-art training and education facilities for the disabled, as part of our Adaptive Paddling program.

We currently have the support of premier organizations like The Conservation Fund, Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail, and Disabled Sports USA, as well as key legislators like Virginia Senator Edd Houck and Speaker Bill Howell. 

Of course, we need your support, as well. True, the National Paddlesports Center will be our place of business, but it will be a home for paddlers everywhere. As we embark on this bold vision, we hope you'll consider a one-time donation or recurring gift.

Kind regards,

Martin A. Bartels

Executive Director

Wild & Scenic Rivers

On my way to the Green River in North Carolina to host the 2009 Southeast Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships this past weekend, I could not resist taking a slight detour, just north of Morganton, NC.

Wilson Creek was designated a Wild & Scenic River by the US Forest Service on August 18, 2000. Twenty-three miles of Wilson Creek are now designated as either Wild, Scenic or Recreational. It is a spectacular area for trout fishing, hiking, and of course whitewater paddling.

According to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers website, the US has approximately 3.5 million miles of rivers and only 11,434 miles are included in the Wild & Scenic River system.

Through the ACA's Stewardship and Public Policy Department, we constantly strive to help local communities protect their valuable water resources.

For more information about how you can contribute to the health of your local body of water, please contact the ACA's Stewardship Director.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department

How the ACA Supports Local Paddling Clubs

Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club 

The American Canoe Association supports more than 140 Paddle America Clubs across the country. This suppor

t comes in many forms, from club insurance for paddling activities to cash support in the form of the LL Bean Club-Fostered Stewardship Program.

Over the past three years, the ACA has distributed 44 grants totaling more than $35,000 to local clubs in support of volunteer-driven waterways stewardship projects. This money has been used for everything from the creation of water trails to waterway clean-up projects. A few examples include: 

> A $500 grant to assist the Badger State Boating Society (Wisconsin) in the development of the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail.

> A $660 grant to Bay Area Sea Kayakers (California) to assist with two major beach clean-ups.

> Funding to help the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance (Oregon) map and install safety signage along the Deschutes Paddle Trail.

> Grants over several years to the Sebago Canoe Club (New York) to support the Open Paddle program, a series of weekly volunteer-led paddling trips introducing city residents to the local Jamaica Bay.

These are just a few examples. Visit our website for more information on our LL Bean Club-Fostered Stewardship Grants, and on other ways we support Paddle America Clubs around the country. 

It's also a great example of how ACA works with our many partners to forward our important mission.

Martin A. Bartels

Executive Director

ACA & College Competition

College Competition!

Calling all Colleges and Universities:

Whether you have an experienced paddling program or one that is just starting up, attendance at any of the ACA College Championships will provide camaraderie, networking, and of course all the fun associated with racing! More importantly, once a student experiences the fun and excitement of paddlesports they will be able to carry those skills and enthusiasm past their collegiate years and develop it into a family and lifetime activity.

Register your school now for any of the upcoming ACA College events:

• March 21: Carolina Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships


• April 4-5: Virginia Canoe & Kayak Collegiate Championships


• October 10-11: Collegiate Canoe & Kayak NATIONAL Championships!

You never know, you just might win a gold medal in the Olympics, like the ACA's Frank Havens.

Paddle Safe - Paddle Often,
Christopher Stec
Safety Education & Instruction Department