Marine task force recommends pole and troll zones
Members of the Fort Myers Beach Marine Resources Task Force recommended supporting a plan to dredge channels in Estero Bay last week that would create no motor zones to offset the impact of clearing out channels in Estero Bay and other areas in Lee County.
According to Lee County documents, the issue came before a Lee County Commissioner’s management and planning meeting on Sept 10, 2007 and consensus direction was given to continue moving forward with the project.
Commissioners adopted Resolution 07-09-49 that was in support of the dredging project and no motor zones. No member of the public spoke on the issue, according to documents.
MRTF Chairman Charles Hester, Fist Tale Marina owner Al Durrett and the town’s Environmental Sciences Coordinator Keith Laakkonen went on a fact-finding boat trip in Estero Bay with Florida Department of Environmental Protection Aquatic Preserve Manager Heather Stafford recently to see first hand the areas to be affected by the new restricted zone.
Derrett has spoken out against the proposal in past meetings.
“I want to see us keep control of our waters in the Back Bay and our neighborhood,” Durrett said at the August meeting. “That’s why we’re doing this. The purpose of this is to inform the people of Fort Myers Beach, and others who come here, to preserve our backwater bay – to preserve it for the future. We need to see that what we do here is good for everybody.”
Laakkonen said at the Dec. 10 meeting that hearing Durrett’s concerns about the project were helpful during the trip.
“We had a good afternoon and I think we kind of see a little bit of where Al is coming from,” Laakkonen said. “It was a good discussion and I think we have a fair idea of where some of the reticence of supporting the pole and troll might be coming from.”
Laakkonen said some marina owners’ concern about the project was visitors being ticketed while running boats in the pole and troll zones may not return to Fort Myers Beach for future vacations.
“Do we want them back if they do that,” asked MRTF member Jeff Werner.
But Laakkonen said education would have to be an important part of the success of the restricted zone.
“It’s going to have to be a component of this – it necessarily has to,” he said.
Laakkonen pointed out that no motor zones aren’t new to Lee County.
“There already is a no motor zone in Lee County – 2800 acres in Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge,” he said.
Stafford said in a best cast scenario the new zone would not be implemented for at least two years, which would be plenty of time to educate boaters.
“We’re there and we’re more than willing to assist with the education because we want it to work,” she said.
Hester asked task force members to table the recommendation on the plan until next month’s meeting so they could hear from Durrett, but couldn’t get support from other members.
The recommendation to implement the dredging project and no motor zones passed 3 to 1 to with Hester dissenting.
On Thursday, Durrett said he was disappointed that the task force acted before he could address them.
“If the Marine Resources Task Force voted to approve of what Lee County and the DEP are doing to Estero Bay, it’s going to be a very harmful thing for the future of Fort Myers Beach – period,” Durrett said. “It’s just one way of taking boaters rights away – it does not need to happen – there are other ways of doing it.”
Durrett said he would support having a two-year trial period to educate boaters.
“That way there is no need for enforcement, it will happen naturally” he said.