Monroe County (Florida Keys) Announces 2nd Round of Pilot Mooring Field Program Public Forums
Local boaters urged to attend these forums to assure boater's rights are not affected

Posted Friday, May 13, 2011

 
 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page

Monroe County, in partnership with the City of Marathon and the City of Key West, will be holding Stakeholder Workshops to take public input regarding the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Pilot Program (Pilot Program). Stakeholder Workshops (Workshops) are scheduled for:

June 7, 6-8pm, at the Murray E. Nelson Center in the upper Keys
June 8, 6-8pm, at the Marathon Government Center in the middle Keys
June 9, 6-8pm, at the Harvey Government Center in the lower Keys

The Workshops are part of a series of action steps established by the FWC under the Pilot Program which was created by the Florida Legislature in 2009. The FWC has chosen Monroe County (in partnership with Key West and Marathon) as one of five local governments in the state to participate in the Pilot Program. Pilot Program objectives include protection of the marine environment, encouraging the use of public mooring fields, and deterring abandoned and derelict vessels.

The Workshops will include a presentation describing the Pilot Program purpose (go to http://myfwc.com/boating/anchoring-mooring for more information), results of survey data collected during the past year in association with mooring fields and anchoring areas, and discussion of the development of regulatory options for anchoring and mooring. The public is invited to attend the Workshops to learn more about the Pilot Program and provide input regarding anchoring and mooring issues and needs in the Florida Keys.

Subsequent to receiving input at the Workshops, the County, in coordination with the partnering cities, will begin the development of an ordinance designed to regulate the anchoring or mooring of vessels
outside the marked boundaries of public mooring fields, consistent with the Pilot Program objectives. Opportunities will be provided, in the latter part of 2011, for public comment to any draft anchoring/mooring ordinance developed. Any anchoring/mooring ordinance will require FWC approval and County adoption prior to implementation.

The timeline for the action steps of the Pilot Program is as follows:

By July 1, 2011 FWC selects local governments for participation in Pilot Program
By Dec. 2011 Stakeholder workshops and development of draft local ordinances
By June 2012 Approval of draft local ordinances at FWC Commission meeting
By Oct. 1, 2012 Local adoption of ordinances
By Jan. 1, 2014 FWC submits Pilot Program report to Governor and Legislature

July 1, 2014 Ordinances expire concurrently with expiration of Pilot Program, unless re-enacted by the Legislature