Our precious anchoring rights in Florida are in jeopardy again. According to Eric Dybing of the Florida Open Water Society, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued a draft proposing language to be incorporated in House Bill 1423 that will severely impact the right to achor in municipal waters around the state of Florida.

The following information was posted on the Florida Open Water Society's website this past week:

Version Seven has been incorporated into House Bill 1423 and posted in the House by Representative Trautman. The bill covers multiple issues and the anchoring language is scattered throughout the bills text. Click here to read Version Seven on the FWC website.

Each Florida legislator has pet issues that they work hard on. As a result getting them fired up about a issue that may not of been on their radar in the past is complicated. A few issues seem to sound true to all legislative members.

• The boating industries' impact on the Florida economy is over 18 BILLION dollars annually.
• Florida is getting a reputation as a boater unfriendly state. Multiple annual cruisers have expressed concern over there future plans not Including Florida in the future.
• Other states and cities have embraced the cruising community with charge free transient docks, parties for cruisers, state and local government funded services. In contrast, Florida is getting the reputation of "cruiser go away".
• The FWC bill is anti boater and anti Florida's Economic health.
• The vast amount of boats stored at anchor are well maintained and beautiful vessels that add to the community and its economic health. By banning anchoring the state would direct the functional equivalent of removing all homes on a street as a result of a few properly maintained homes.
• In south Florida as an example, over 2,000 wet slips have been lost to development in the past 24 months.
• Derelict vessels are a real problem that needs a real solution, not a Law that penalizes quality boat owners and the Florida economy. Several proposals have been put forth to actually resolve the derelict vessel issue but the bills sponsors have refused to include them ?
• This bill is a direct delegation of state control over state waters to local governments that have ignored, violated and directly refused to comply with the legislatures 2006 law to prevent local governments from doing the very thing this bill seeks to establish as law.
• On water storage of boats is a reality. Unfunded legislation that directs others to act on the states behalf is never a good idea.
• As an example Sarasota has already passed an ordinance that would make anchoring on a majority of the bay illegal if this bill passes, although FWC intent may of not been to allow this. The bill is so poorly written that constant abuse is not only probable but actually planned and in Sarasota's case already enacted into city Ordinance.
• Finally, Ask them to KILL or significantly amend this bill to protect the FLORIDA ECONOMY, OUR MARINE INDUSTRY and boaters.