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Letter from Alachua County re: Airboat "Noise" Dem

A

Anonymous

Guest
Friday, July 8, 2005

There has been a growing concern about noise stemming from air boats on Alachua County water bodies. In 2001, the Alachua County Commission appointed a team to look into that and other water use issues such as safety and conflicts among water body users. The Water Use Zoning Team presented a draft report of options to the BoCC on Oct 22, 2002. The report is available here: http://parksandrec.alachua.fl.us/docs/wuz.pdf

As a result of those options, a Florida Boating Improvement Program grant has been secured by Alachua County to do a Waterways Master Plan which should begin later this year. One of the issues to deal with is the noise intensity of air boats, particularly late at night.

In a recent BoCC presentation about the Waterways Master Plan scope of work, Sheriff Olerich volunteered to provide a demonstration of noise from an air boat with a muffler and an air boat without a muffler. This demonstration will take place Tuesday, July 12 at noon on the West side of the County Administration Building.

Robert M. Avery, CPRP
Parks Superintendent
Alachua County
P.O. Box 1188
Gainesville, FL 32602-1188
Voice: 352-374-5245 ext. 247
FAX: 352-337-6243
e-mail: ravery@co.alachua.fl.us


Click here to subscribe to the Alachua County Community Update newsletter
http://www.co.alachua.fl.us/commissioncontacts
 
What is the official intended purpose of the Florida Boating Improvement Program grant money?

Jim
 
Thanks for dredging that up for us Jim.
Same old story. Sportsman's collected taxes, and fees used to dismantle the very activities they were intended to enhance. Anti gun, hunting, and environmental / animal rights crusaders have been doing this type of thing for decades.

Those monies were obviously allocated by the State to make boating bigger, and better. Not to restrict, prohibit, or diccourage it.

Sad.

I wonder what obligation the grant receipiants have regarding validation of proper use, and / or justification that grant monies have been used in actual enhancement for the boating public.
 
Cowboy - some of that grant money is very specific for what it can be used for. It is worth looking into.

Wally - That would be a great idea if someone had a quiet motor and prop. It would be a way to show what can be done with airboats.
 
according to the site I listed above here is what the money cannot be used for:

2
.2 Ineligible Uses of Program Funds
Program Funds for both Tier-I and Tier-II will not be awarded for projects that do not directly relate to the enhancement of boating access for recreational boaters within the state. Costs listed below are not eligible for reimbursement under this Program:
1. Costs for the construction or repair of any facilities not directly related to boat access related activities (e.g. such as picnic areas, trails, fishing piers, general parking areas for picnic areas, restrooms for picnic areas, etc.)
2. Application preparation costs. This includes overhead, payroll, salaries or accounting costs.
3. Costs related to the acquisition of real property
4. Costs for any legal fees.
5. Costs associated with ordinary operation, maintenance or routine minor repairs of the proposed project. This includes costs to provide power, water or sewer or any other utilities or services to the facility for the stipulated length of the 20-year Agreement.
6. Costs expended for any type or form of security activities, watchmen, fee collection, maintenance or other personnel costs.
7. Costs associated with the acquisition or use of any type of equipment such as park equipment, vehicles, lawn care, dredge, or other capital equipment purchases used for operation and maintenance of the existing or completed project area.
8. Costs associated or directly related to a component of a project that would create or increase a boating safety hazard.
9. Costs for any type of general business, marketing or promotional plans.
Click to expand...

Jim
 
What about item 9 of the exclusions?
It seems that these grants are for "Bricks and Mortar" "nails and Wood" types of improvments. Did they do wrong when hiring that outside firm to develop the "Master Plan"?

This money should be used to install ramps for all boaters, and perhaps a more remote airboat ramp, and access point would potentialy minimize the airboating impacts to the lake dwelling residents.
We all know that an airboat ramp could be very primitive, and cost pennies on the dollar, what a new kicker boat ramp would cost.

I think they should be considering the above types of solutions, and uses for this money.

The have hired some high class / high priced third party to gain a nuclear solution for their war on airboats.

This downtown airboat noise demo is a sham, and should be protested accordingly. If the high sherrif wanted to do it right, it would be conducted on one of the lakes in question, under a responsible airboat operation scenario, and with one muffled, and one stack exhaust boat.

People and Press could then hear the difference, in the "real world, in real time"

Perhaps these two points of protest would expose them for what they are really doing. Targeting one user group with predjudice, instead of tying to develop ordinances for ALL of the good people of Alachua county.

Wallygator,
I would nominate Cntry141iq's boat for the demo. He's got the quietest boat I know of. He also is demonstrating the new put your money where your mouth is attitude that all airboaters are gonna have to get on board with to quiet them down.

See ya, gotta go shop for some mufflers.
 
Hope everyone with an interest in this issue shows up at GTO Airboats on Tuesday at 7:00 PM for an enthusiasts association organizational meeting. Local resident, or not, we must al support the effort to develop an organized, rational and controlled response to this effort to eliminate all of us.

Those who seek to eliminate us have one major complaint. Loud airboats running late at night.

De-Ja-Vu.

Very disappointed that GTO has not taken any active role in Florida Airboat Association. Hope it is not that they are too busy making big $$,$$$ off us to support our efforts. We'll soon see.
 
Jim,
If your refering to the fact that they "Alachua County" were awarded this grant money to develop a master plan, I understand, but still think they are not using it for it's intended purpose.

I believe that the grant monies are to be used for project directly related to expanded boating opportunities. Access Ramps, ext.

I believe that the approval of thier application amy have been in error, or that they have gotten side tracked from why they were given the money in the first place.

I could be wrong about this of course, but I think the state legislature approved this program to enhance the boating experience for all of Floridas boaters. Not to pay for regulating it out of existence.

Eligible uses of program funds include:

Boat ramps and other public launching facilities


Piers, docks and other mooring facilities


Recreational channel marking


Aquatic plant control


Boating education


Economic development initiatives that promote boating


Other local boating-related activities that enhance boating access for recreational boaters


I believe it was defined in the scope and purpose of that legislation.
 
Cowboy,

I agree, that's why I posted it. There is one other plan in there this year, it looks like a projected misuse of funds to me. I am curious to know who the consultant is.

Jim
 
I have already informed FWC that we will be asking for an investigation into the allocation of this grant money. Another item of interest that should be mentioned is that this grant money comes from marine fuel tax that we all pay. However the group initiating this waterway usage plan are canoers and kayakers. I will be asking all airboaters in the near future to write letters to the FWC Grant Program Coordinator asking for an explanation of why this money was allocated to hire a consultant group (which we have just found out is a known naturalist group) instead of allocating this money to improve boating access areas as it was designed to do. We are getting together a timeline (history) of what brought this waterway usage plan to the point that it is now. All prior action by this group points to their motivation to have airboats taken off of the waterways of Alachua County. Actually they are pushing to restrict all motorized water vessels and I have contacted the local Bass fisherman in regards to this issue as well. As far as the sound demonstration that the Alachua County Sheriff wishes to give to the County Commissioners I have sent several letters stating that this is a bias demonstration by an untrained individual who is not in a capacity to give legitimate and knowledgeable information on the issue of airboat noise. (If commissioners or by-standers confront him with questions, what qualifies him to give factual answers.)? This is obviously a matter of this sheriff abusing his position and I hope the Alachua County Sportsman remembers this when election comes around. I received no response from the Commissioners or the Sheriff. I would like to see the commissioners and the sheriff bombarded with emails over the next 24 hours from airboaters expressing their opposition to this sound demonstration. By the way members of FAA volunteered to give the county a demonstration on Orange Lake in lieu of down town Gainesville.
And the offer was not accepted.
 
TerriABW,
If you can throw some addresses up here, I'm sure we will all start clicking the send buttons right away. Of course any thing sent to them need to be done in an adult, non-threatening manner.

Also, please let me know the contact info for the grant money coordinator.
I'll be waiting to ask him / her the same thing your going to.

I don't see this whole deal as an FWC generated problem, but if they have the oversight of our tax dollars, then they need to police up any mis-use of the funds. That's what I see the Alachua County Commisions' actions as.
 
I'm not one that can write that well but I,ll send my 2 cent. And keep it clean. I,m going to talk to some of the folks folks Highlands Airboat Assc. To see if thet will send some letters.
 
You're a good guy Unc. You've got the right idea, tell them how you feel without slinging any vulgar words around

Anybody that wants to have their letters proof-read for grammar/spelling, send it to me, I will be glad to check it over for you. I've got a lot of hours in literature and composition.

Red
 
I emailed them all and offered my boat for their test if they wanted to do it in a reasonable location ... not in an asphalt parking lot.
 
Who is the consultant? That is another angle to look at guys.

Especially if they one of the way out environmental groups. Heck I love nature, outdoors, and protecting the environment, but some of these people are against hunting fishing and most things American.

If they try to slide any of that airboat are damaging to the environment BS out as well, post it. I have had alittle experience with addressing those guys.

Will post a letter to both the sheriff and the county today.
 
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