Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 17, 1995 TAG: 9507170111
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JONATHAN HUNLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MONETA LENGTH: Medium
If Ranger Smith from the ``Yogi Bear'' cartoon is your idea of a game warden, you'll be surprised by D.H. Cushman.
He doesn't chase talking bears. But he enforces the law on Smith Mountain Lake with high-tech gear.
Cushman is one of about four officers with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries who use a personal watercraft - more commonly known as a jet-ski, the brand name for the Kawasaki model - to patrol the lake.
The officers deal with fishing, equipment and moving violations, and handle complaints in busy areas of the lake. They also investigate situations where boaters may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or operating their crafts in a reckless manner.
The department conducts five- to six-hour patrols a couple times a weekend from early spring until September or October. But the watercraft is available year-round for emergency use such as search and rescue.
The watercraft allows the wardens to use tactics they wouldn't otherwise be able to - for example, the craft can operate in shallow water, so it can be used in floods.
"They will go where some of our larger boats won't," said Cushman's supervisor, Lt. K.P. Martin.
The sleek white, purple and aqua-marine colored craft - which can run up to about 50 mph - can't be used between sunset and sunrise, according to state law.
Cushman, 25, said although some of the other officers sometimes patrol on the watercraft, he has been its main pilot recently.
"They seem to have put me out here the whole summer lately, which I don't mind at all," he said.
Cushman dons a T-shirt and shorts and even sports shades to protect his eyes when he patrols. He looks like all the other folk seeking fun and frolic, except he carries a gun and wears a badge.
"You're just seen as another jet-skier," he said.
His co-workers kid Cushman about his tan, or lack thereof. Martin joked that Cushman was their "secret weapon" because he scared people away with his pale legs.
Cushman said the effects of alcohol and the number of boats on the water are the lake's biggest problems. His greatest difficulty in patrolling, though, is getting soaked by splashing water.
Public safety is the department's No. 1 job, Cushman said. His greatest experiences on the water have been when violators have actually thanked him after receiving a ticket.
They'll say, "'Even though I got a ticket I know why you're out here and you're doing your job,'" he said.
Through Webster Marine Center, Bombardier Inc., a manufacturer of boats and other vehicles, has lent the Sea-Doo craft to the department for a year. The department must pay for fuel and maintenance, and at the end of the year, the watercraft will be returned for the store to sell, said store owner Jim Mills.
This is the third year for the watercraft program, which has also previously operated through other stores.
Since the department only keeps the watercraft a year, it usually stays in good shape. The wardens have never had any major breakdowns or problems, Martin said.
The number of personal watercraft users on the lake has probably quadrupled in recent years, according to Martin. The Smith Mountain Lake Policy Advisory Board and the Smith Mountain Lake Fire Department also have personal watercraft.
Law enforcement agencies around the country use personal watercraft, Martin said. He hopes to have an additional one in the future.
"We're looking for any new idea that works and this one has been working well," he said.
Lake residents and visitors seem to be supportive of the program.
Karl H. Lerz, president of the Smith Mountain Lake Association, said he is encouraged by the department's efforts. Any measure that can give them a faster response time is good, he said.
Bob Hawlk, past president of the Smith Mountain Lake Water Safety Council, echoed these comments.
"Whatever they can use to help them do their job, more power to them," he said.
Ken Dugan, treasurer of the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce/Partnership, said he regards the lake as he does roadways. Police now have bikes and other special vehicles, so the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries should have new equipment, too.
"These wardens - you don't realize how much territory they have to cover," he said.
Bass fishermen Ray Armes and Ron Sweet, both of Lynchburg, got a first-hand view of Cushman in action Sunday. They complained about the owner of a personal watercraft who they said was riding too close to their boat.
They were glad Cushman was on the job.
"We're all for it," Sweet said.
by CNB