SAY NO TO NOAA!
Help Us Stop NOAA from Expanding the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary.
STOP the expansion and new proposed regulations of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)
Regardless of your user group type, everyone seems to agree that:
- Water Quality is the biggest issue and NOAA has not restored that since they formed the FKNMS in 1990.
- Closing certain areas will cause crowding and additional stress on other areas.
- The Blueprint does NOT reflect the will of the majority of the community
- The Blue Star program is biased
- Favoring university and non profits over private commercial enterprise is bad business
- Most of the proposed regulations are not science based
Community has suggestions that may actually help. The thing is, we don’t really need NOAA to do these at all, but before any expansion or new regulations are proposed, they must first justify their jobs by doing things that the community has identified below.
- Propose a plan of restoration of the poor water quality
- Install more mooring buoys.
- Add and maintain channel markers in the back country
- UPDATE NOAA’s CHARTS, including digital verisons
- Create more artificial reefs to take the pressure off the real reefs.
- Require educational videos and Certifications for out of town boat operators, particularly those renting a boat.
- Eliminate mini lobster season
- Hold NOAA employees accountable for their actions like everyone else
In addition to the above underlined issues with the Blueprint, Specific User Groups also agree on the following:
HISTORIC SALVAGE
- In Situ, NOAAs preferred method of conservation is not science based, historic resources will continue to decay like the Monitor & Titanic Shipwrecks.
- 106 Laws outdated as “Perpetual Intact Collections” are outgrowing plant assets. (facilities, staff, and finances).
- Outlaws private commercial historic salvage in state waters.
- The 1000 wrecks listed should not all be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
- Competes with local museums
It all boils down to good science and trust. They didn’t use good science, did not maintain , did not fulfill the original intent of the original FKNMS management plan and programmatic agreement. FKNMS allowed the water quality to get worse, unchecked, blaming others and they intentionally allowed the Programmatic agreement with the State of Florida to expire to get control of ALL historic resources.