Mooring Buoy to Block Access to Boaters

© Flickr / Miamism

Earlier this month, myself and several other HYC members attended the Park Service's public meeting regarding their Mooring Buoy and Marker Plan for Biscayne National Park. This plan is supposedly being developed to protect and preserve Park resources (reef, ship wrecks, grass beds, etc) for future generations. It calls for additional mooring buoys (anchor balls) on the reef and at ship wreck sites, the banning of dropping anchor in these areas, and the addition of more signage and markers within the Park.

All of these seem like great ideas and virtually everyone at the meeting favored such action. However, hidden within the plan is a provision to limit the number of boats that can congregate at the Sands Cut Sand Bar and the University Dock anchorage area by installing a limited number of mooring buoys in these areas. You will not be permitted to anchor there unless you are on a mooring buoy.

Superintendent Lewis acknowledged that this was more of a crowd control/public safety issue rather than a protection of Park resources issue. He stated that he does not have enough rangers to properly patrol the Sands Cut sand bar area and that he fears for the safety of his rangers when they have to respond to an incident in that area. 

Myself, other HYC members, Black Point Yacht Club members and numerous members of the public spoke against the use of this plan as a means to control the number of boaters who can visit the sand bar and use the University Dock anchorage area. I strongly encourage readers to review this plan and express your objection to the mooring buoy plan for the Sands Key Sand Bar and University Dock anchorage areas. 

This issue will be discussed at length at our club meeting on August 30; however, the deadline for public comment is Sept 3, so waiting until the club meeting will be cutting it really close. The Black Point Yacht Club and the Coral Ridge Yacht Club are also encouraging their members to address this issue. Hopefully if enough of us express our objection to this portion of the plan, we will be able to preserve one of the most enjoyable aspects of boating in this area.  You can submit your comments online by going to the park planning portion of the Park's web site.  Written comments can be submitted by mail using a comments form that will be available at our club meeting.

I encourage everyone to click on this link and comment on this plan, and show your displeasure. Without everyone's help we will lose this park, we have been enjoying for so many years to a select few, who get there first, and take an anchor ball.

Here is an example of a document you can copy and paste into to NPS comment form. Tell all your boating friends to do the same. Many people are copying their US Senators and Representatives asking them for help:

To: Mr. Mark Lewis, Superintendent of the Biscayne National Park

Ref: Biscayne National Park Mooring Buoy and Marker Plan - July 2010

Dear Sir,

I am a boater and mariner in Biscayne National Park. As a resident of South Florida, I have a deep appreciation of the beauty and importance of Biscayne National Park. As a member of  Cocoplum Yacht Club, I agree with your concerns for the safety of local and visiting boaters as well as for the safety of the National Park Service law enforcement. Our shared goals of preserving and protecting the environment for future generations, as well as promoting safe and enjoyable experiences throughout the park are achievable with the coordinated efforts of the NPS and local boater experiences.

I support many of the management action proposals in Alternative B of the Biscayne National Park Mooring Buoy and Marker Plan dated July 2010. For example:

• All the reef and Heritage Trail plans for the Eastern/Ocean side boundaries of the park.
• The addition of navigational and educational aids throughout the park.
• All the maintenance and maintenance monitoring improvements. 

I disagree with the following proposals in Alternative B:

• The proposed restrictions of "popular visitor use" areas. The areas of Stiltsville and Sands Cut sandbars, University Dock Area and Elliott Key, are used because they are safe anchorages. They are on the leeward and protected side of the keys and are available to boating families with limited boating experience. Restricting access in these areas may force visitors away from the safer spots and, in many cases, into dangerous situations. For example, small children trying to get through a swift current from the mooring balls to the sandbar.
• The proposal to add mooring fields and prohibit anchoring in certain areas. The current popular anchorage of Elliott Key is one of the few areas where local as well as visiting boaters know that safe anchoring is available. There are areas, such as north of Sands Key where grassy areas are being destroyed by anchoring. Perhaps in those areas, a mooring field while prohibiting anchoring, would be useful and help preserve the environment.
• The NPS, in its efforts to eliminate boater conflicts caused by a miniscule percentage of park users, is attempting to run off even the responsible boaters instead of properly managing the site specific and time-specific instances when additional enforcement presence would be appropriate.

I am hopeful that a concerted and coordinated compromise involving both the National Park Service and the local boating community can be developed. It is in the best interest of both parties to further work together to have a plan, which is supported by all, to preserve and protect the environment, as well as encourage safe boating. As the deadline for comments is on September 3, 2010, I would encourage you to adopt Alternative A – No action, until these issues can be resolved.