Boating rules changes on tap for Biscayne National Park

Posted on 30 August 2010
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The National Park Service is proposing changes to anchoring and mooring in Biscayne National Park in Florida, according to The Marine Council.

The National Park Service proposal includes:

  • Installing more moorings at various places in the park.
  • Restrictions on anchoring. Boats can use only National Park Service moorings in some areas, with no anchoring allowed at Stiltsville, Fowey Rocks, Brewster and Star Reefs, Sands Cuts Shoals, Elliott Key: Anchorage, Harbor and vicinity, and east of Keys.
  • No rafting allowed while on a National Park Service mooring.
  • A reduction or elimination of beaching of boats.
  • More markers for channels, park boundaries, featherbeds and hazardous areas.

 

"Although The Marine Council appreciates the National Park Service's desire to protect marine resources, we feel there needs to be a balance for boaters as well," the council said in a statement. "We feel that increased navigational and educational signs and hazard marking would be beneficial and would support their installation.

"We strongly object to the severe restrictions that would prohibit anchoring on the Bay side of Elliott Key," the council added. "We also feel that their prohibition on rafting is counterproductive to their stated goal of keeping anchors off the bottom."

The council is asking affected boaters to comment on the plan by Friday.

Click here to submit comments.

Click here to see the complete National Park Service Mooring Buoy and Marker Plan Environmental Assessment

Comments
14 Tuesday, 23 August 2011 22:13
By William Saladrigas
I said it the last time the National Park Service brought up this topic, and I will say it again. This is more about control than it is about public safety and environmental considerations. I will, once again, remind you of the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I was law enforcement on the water for six years in the affected area, and I am here to tell you, there are few reported problems in that area. This area is environmentally pristene and unremarkable from a public safety standpoint. The Sands Cut sand bar occasionally gets a little out-of-control from drunks, etc. But the area is not one where I would recommend such Draconian changes. Leave well enough alone. Government encroachment is at an all-time high. Back off!!!!
13 Friday, 03 September 2010 13:45
My Family lives for the weekends in Elliot key and sands key My children Kaylee 10 and Angel 7 love it.. My hubby and Myself enjoy it to the Fullest. Taking this away from us is taking away what we call paradise why we choose to live in this beautiful state I love my freedom of this Country but telling someone they cant enjoy the what they so hard work for to relax and enjoy our beautiful biscayne bay with our love ones is Ridiculous and insane.. This would create a great deal of problems people fighting to see who gets there first how do you think you can control not making the bay look like a parking lot of boaters waiting to enjoy a day in sands key. Please rethink this because all I see in the future will be what I dont want my children to experience Boater fighting and what they call paradise and as my 7 year Son calls it THIS IS THE LIFE.. become a nightmare.. Thank you in advance for allowing me to share my thoughts.
12 Friday, 03 September 2010 02:05

I fully agree with pilothouseking this is going way too far.   We pay taxes


to maintain our park not restrict them from use.   I have been going to this


area all my life and bringing up my kids to enjoy and protect this way of life


that polititions are trying to take away from.    We live in the sunshine state


but soon will have no were to go and enjoy it.    The public is already restricted


to our beaches with all the condos that keep going up everywere and now this.


 

11 Friday, 03 September 2010 00:52

 guys i love it when the goverment says lets fix this and we need that its for the well of the people and the vistors of the park and so your children and grand children enjoy.please stop insulting our intelegnce. this and all they do is take away our freedom to enjoy what we all like to do WE USE THE PARK AND KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT . for some reason i feel the poeple behind this probably dont even own boats or understand the enjoyment of boating.i read the proposition presented and they state that almost all want new informational signs for posted areas and no anchoring in those areas. back in  2009 they had 1000 more or less incidents in the park of wich  90% were FISHING infractions or inproper documentaion no dive flags or fire extingusers ,does that  sound  like a reason to you for putting mooring bouys in a the sand bars.... let me ask how do i tie to those buoyswhen i have a 37 express that i need 3ft min were do i tie to go to the sandbar or have they invented an annchor that doesnt touch the sand just give me a break!!!!they want to shut down allmost all the areas in the park.look at the maps guys its all on paper they are not lying to us they dont want us in the park period . this calls for a protest if we all have to go out there and anchor up well be it we own the park not the superintendent and these washngton beurocrates.this idea really sucks!!!!!

10 Thursday, 02 September 2010 03:04

I'd rather pay an annual fee so  the park can actually do some enforcement.  but no anchoring?  thats stupid.


because some loosers  that don't know what they are doing and litter, everyone looses?


Just shoot me now!  (and you can bet I'll not be buying another boat, but maybe thats the plan in the 1st place).

9 Thursday, 02 September 2010 03:01

I might as well sell my boat.


this is were I've been going for 40 years, and now it will be gone forever.  whats next everglades?  close the marina too.  close everything.  pull up the markers and don't allow anyone to run a engine!


it does seem the NPS doesn't want the public anywhere near THEIR park.


Another freedom lost.  not my country anymore!

8 Wednesday, 01 September 2010 05:12

please dont restrict us from our favorite places, this seems rediculous... I am an avid boater any this would be devistating to the locals that have been respecting these waters for years. I feel that these proposals will just cause more problems than solving them

7 Wednesday, 01 September 2010 02:19
Let's outweigh the pros & cons , Sure we all want to preserve the Bay , It kills me when we stop at elliot right after the regatta or any long weekend and all you see is trash & broken bottels . What we need is enforcement of the laws we have in place now . Educate those who don't know the rules , and punish those who break it .

You restrict us enough already . for those who know the laws and abide by them. As a Captain. I enjoy spending the weekends out with friend and family , Trust me it's hard enough docking anywhere at Elliot and Boca Chita with all the trafic . can you imagine scrambling for a mooring at the anchorage as limitted as they are . I could see the fights .


Let's get marine services and local volunteers to come together and patrol and help educated these new boaters on how to properly anchor or the right usage of a vesel Like NO WAKE ZONE .


The Answer is not more Goverment , Its Educating & Enforcement.


Capt JR

6 Wednesday, 01 September 2010 00:40

The National Park Service treats the public as an invasive pest that must be eradicated from their park.


Everglades National Park's water's are in their sites too.

5 Tuesday, 31 August 2010 12:03
In the land of the free we are not as free as we once were.  Every year that goes by, some bit of freedom is taken away.  It goes slowly so you don't notice or feel it as much but it keeps on going. All you have to do is think back to when you were a child and how boating was back then.  Come on people fight and get back your freedom.
4 Tuesday, 31 August 2010 06:18
I agree  pilothouseking, well said.
3 Monday, 30 August 2010 23:11
Who's big idea is this ? The manufacturer of the moorings ? A politician's scam seeking "compensations" ? All of us boaters should protest and DEMAND that such measures be subjected to vote. Write the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. ), The Marine Council, Boat US. the commissioners, let them know we will not stand for that ! Enough Government interference. You can bet whomever came up with that in the National Park Service never goes out on the bay other than for work purposes. Totally out of touch with the reality of how many people are going to be affected. Let's get him or her fired ! Where does this marine dictator wants the boaters to anchor ? In the gulf stream ?
2 Monday, 30 August 2010 17:42

more regulation is not needed anywhere in key Biscayne


we live there to have the freedom of the water which is rapidly becoming the last frontier for the average person who can not afford to buit a space ship ticket on branson's bird

1 Monday, 30 August 2010 16:14

Well, this should put the final stake into the heart of boating in Miami.


The Park Service is trying to make private what used to be public. They are trying to control 100% accesss to the bay and Islands through their (paid) services via their ferries, dockage, etc.  Before they came along and put pilings down all down the bay with ugly signs marking boundries and rules-it was pretty. They've built docks and buildings where there used to be none. Their mooring fields will be permanent  deep damage to the bottom whereas anchors are temporary and quite shallow.


They are the ones's who "pave over paradise and put up a parking lot" in the name of "for the public"- they actually change public (used to be free) access into private via making rules giving them 100% control.


Just another way to kill of public access to the Bay!  Goodbye Columbus Day Regatta and spending the afternoon with your family on the bay. They've already killed off fishing there.

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