Thank you and you're welcome. Thanks again to Jur!
This is the public comment period, if this concerns you for a trip you plan to take out there in a couple of days or in several years, please TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK. That is our best response for now it seems. Also, a number of the issues voiced in the NPS documents seem to be enforcement related. The laws are on the books, the officers are present to enforce them, why not give them full encouragement to do just that? Mount some enforcement sweeps, make a point and the word should get out there.
*** YOU MUST MAKE YOUR COMMENTS BY SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 AT:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentF...cumentID=35785
I just received information about this situation from someone well placed in the community and familiar with affairs related to this matter. This is what he had to say:
"I think it is very important to act. But I think we need to be informed before we act.
Once you know what you want, the appropriate reaction is to comment to the NPS & tell them what you like/don’t like about the plan. That’s what the comment process is for.
You can get the full environmental assessment and comment opportunity at:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document...cumentID=35247
Here is an email I sent to some of my friends that had inquired previously:
“THE GOVERNMENT IS SHUTTING
DOWN ELLIOTT KEY, SANDS KEY,
STILTSVILLE, ETC.
NO MORE REGATTA!!”
No they’re not…
Here’s what they’re actually talking about doing. Not quite as drastic or exciting…or negative as the email flyer. The goal is to spread the visitor impact on the resource. The problem is the two sandbars. They are going to do something to reduce the out of control situation there…and it is out of control.
See the attached excerpt from the draft plan environmental assessment. They’re talking about mooring buoys to control the pachangas @ stiltsville and sands cut. These would be no anchor/no beaching zones.
X boats at a time first come first served. You want to play on the sand bar with your kids, get their early and now you don’t have to worry about Lazaro el Lechon harassing your kids in a place that looks like I-95.
Please note what they’re not talking about. While Billy’s would have buoys, if they fill up, you can still anchor. Unlimited anchorage everywhere else along Elliott (except in front of the harbor where they’ll have a no anchor mooring field).
This is just a proposal, it is far from final, but they will not allow the status quo to continue at Stiltsville and Sands Cut.
As for the Regatta, I don’t know what will happen, but I can tell you they HATE it. It is a disaster for them every year and the death toll makes it kinda hard to defend…
Go to
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentF...cumentID=35785 and post your comment.
Since then I have received the following clarifications from the park:
This plan discusses how and where we would add additional mooring buoys along the reef, at some of the shipwrecks (including all of the sites on the Maritime Heritage Trail) and how and where we would better mark shallow flats and a few areas adjacent to navigation channels.
The plan would also provide guidance in reducing crowding at Sands Cut and at the party site near Stiltsville. Although the Sands Cut area is only a tiny little spot in the park, fully 1/5 of all our arrests and incidents occur there. Almost every weekend during nice weather we respond to fights, assaults, etc there.
However, we are not intending to close down these sites. We want to try installing mooring pins at Sands Cut and require people to use the pins when using the area. We can help minimize damage to the shallow flats (this used to be a nice grass flat) and make sure there is room for rangers to get in there to break up the fights or at least rescue the injured. It is very difficult to know exactly how many pins we could install, just by looking at the aerial photography, but it will probably be between 60 and 70 pins. If the pins don't work, we'll try something else. Again, we do not intend to close the area down.
The other concern we've heard is that the proposed Elliott Key mooring area will close down the Columbus weekend event. That is totally incorrect. I don't see the proposed mooring area as having any impact at all on that event. The proposed area is not where most of the boats anchor during that weekend.
As it is with so many of these issues, it’s the 5% of yahoos that cause problems & restrictions that all of us have to live with. We’ve all seen the anchor & boat damage on the reef and the flats. I personally don’t have a problem with a cooling off of the zoo at sands cut (we’ve been there, we’ve seen it…occasionally we’re even part of the problem), and it doesn’t look like they want to tighten it too much too me…but that’s my opinion.
Go to
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentF...cumentID=35247 and give them your opinion. But base it on the facts, not on some incendiary rag that gets everyone’s Speedos in a knot instead of getting the problems in the park resolved.
As responsible users we have to help bring the situations under control for our good and for the good of the park. Responsible use leads to reasonable access. Irresponsible use leads to more & more restrictions. Get involved, get informed, let them know what the reasonable folks want!
Just keep taking pictures (& legal fish) and leaving only bubbles behind"