GRAND LAKE STREAM – They like to rip and zip across the lake under the summer sun, but users of personal watercraft may find themselves beached on West Grand Lake by state officials.

In a report issued this week, the Land Use Regulation Commission staff recommends that personal watercraft be banned on the 1,500-acre West Grand Lake. That recommendation will be considered by the full commission at its meeting Thursday in Rockland.

Because Grand Lake Stream Plantation is within the jurisdiction of LURC, the commission would have to approve the proposed ban before it could be sent to the Legislature for final consideration.

The commission initially approved the ban at its July 2000 meeting in Rangeley after town officials presented a petition containing more than 100 signatures.

The Legislature asked the commission to hold a hearing in the town to gather local public comment and to use the information to consider whether to resubmit the proposal to the next session of the Legislature.

More than 150 people attended the June hearing, where opponents of the ban jeered and hissed their neighbors who favored the proposal.

During the hearing, 28 spoke and another 42 who did not testify that evening went on record by signing the speaker sign-up sheet, which asked people if they favored or opposed the ban. The commission staff fielded five telephone calls and received 81 letters.

Of the 156 people who commented, 82 supported the ban, while 74 opposed it. More than 75 property owners from Grand Lake Stream weighed in, with 43 of them asking for a ban, while 35 opposed one. Many who are not property owners, many of whom reside in Princeton or Baileyville, voiced their opinions. They were divided evenly, with 39 in favor and 39 opposed.

The commission staff also received several petitions both for and against the proposal. In preparing its summary, the staff eliminated petitions that were obvious duplicates. One petition was rejected because the 17 names appeared to have been written by the same person. Of the petitioners, 116 opposed the ban, while 59 others supported it.

In their report, the staff summarized the respective sides. Many of those who opposed the ban believed there was no problem and cited the low number of personal watercraft being operated on the lake.

“There was a fair amount of testimony stating that PWCs suffer unfairly from a bad reputation, and are being wrongly singled out for restriction among other surface watercraft, including planes and larger boats,” the report said. “Many of those in opposition expressed their dislike of excessive regulation, and speculated that this ban on jet skis could pave the way for future limitations on other types of recreational vehicles.”

Those who favored the ban, the staff said, spoke largely of natural values, of the increasing rarity of peace and quiet, and their belief that personal watercraft use is incompatible with the more traditional uses of the lake that have kept Grand Lake Stream a destination area for naturalists and fishermen.

“Many expressed concerns that the regional economy will suffer and that the tradition of local guides will vanish if a ban is not enacted,” the report said.

Although the response from the public was divided, the staff members said they could not come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides. “Instead, we weighed the arguments presented in testimony, and find ourselves more convinced by those who argue in favor of the ban,” they said.

Explaining their position, the staff said they believe the noise and disruption caused by inappropriate use of personal watercraft on West Grand Lake has affected the quiet setting for which Grand Lake Stream Plantation is known. They also said if the disruption continues, it has the potential to cause economic hardship for the sporting camps and businesses that rely on that experience for their customers.

They added that personal watercraft could be used on many other lakes in the area, including Big Lake, which is closer to Princeton.

“Accordingly, staff recommends that the commission endorse the proposal to prohibit personal watercraft on West Grand Lake, as originally submitted by Grand Lake Stream Plantation. … Staff further recommends that the commission forward this request to the Legislature with a recommendation for approval in the upcoming session,” the report said.