Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Vessel Registration and Boating Safety

 

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Vessel Registration and Boating Safety

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

68D-24.155St. Johns County Boating Restricted Areas

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this rule amendment is to reduce vessel speeds on the Florida Intracoastal Waterway within St. Johns County, where necessary to manage and promote the use of this state waterway for safe boating. The amendments would include the extension of the boating safety zone south of the Vilano Beach Bridge (A1A) an additional 400 feet to provide safety to those utilizing a landing facility available for use by the general boating public. In addition all idle speed no wake zones in the County are being changed to slow speed minimum wake zones and updates all the rule maps.

SUMMARY: This rule amendment extends the boating safety zone in the Florida Intracoastal Waterway in St. Johns County surrounding the Vilano Beach Bridge (A1A) and changes each idle speed no wake zone to a slow speed minimum wake zone and updates the rule maps.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION: The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: the nature of the rule and the preliminary analysis conducted to determine whether a SERC was required.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 327.46 FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 327.46 FS.

IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN THE FAW.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Ryan Moreau, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement, Boating and Waterways Section, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600

 

Substantial rewording of the Rule 68D-24.010 Pinellas County Boating Restricted Areas follows. See Florida Administrative Code for present text.

 

68D-24.155 St. Johns County Boating Restricted Areas.

(1) The following slow speed minimum wake year-round zones are established regulating the speed and operation of vessel traffic on and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway within St. Johns County. The zones exclude all associated tributaries, creeks, canals, channels, backwaters, boat basins and other waterways unless otherwise designated or specifically described for inclusion:

(a) Palm Valley Bridge (S.R. 210) – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from shoreline to shoreline, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet northwest of the Palm Valley Bridge (S.R. 210), to a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet southeast of said bridge, as depicted in Drawing A.

(b) Vilano Beach Bridge (A1A) – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from shoreline to shoreline, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet north of the Vilano Beach Bridge (A1A), to a point on the western shoreline (29 54.935 N, 81 17.898 W) 200 feet south of the bridge, to a point on the eastern shoreline (29 54.964 N, 81 18.318 W) 900 feet south of said bridge, as depicted in Drawing B.

(c) Bridge of Lions (A1A) – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from shoreline to shoreline, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet north of the Bridge of Lions (A1A), to a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 775 feet southeast of said bridge, as depicted in Drawing C.

(d) S. R. 312 Bridge – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from shoreline to shoreline, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet north of the S.R. 312 Bridge, to a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet south of said bridge, as depicted in Drawing D.

(e) Crescent Beach Bridge (S.R. 206) – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from shoreline to shoreline, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet northwest of the Crescent Beach Bridge (S.R. 206), to a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet southeast of said bridge, as depicted in Drawing E.

(f) Devil’s Elbow Boat Ramp – All waters in and adjacent to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, from a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet northeast of the Devil’s Elbow Boat Ramp, to a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway 500 feet south of said boat ramp, bounded on the west by a line drawn from point (29 45.112 N, 81 15.071 W) to point (29 45.263 N, 81 15.092 W), and bounded on the east by the shoreline, as depicted in Drawing F.

(2) The boating restricted areas are depicted on the following drawings:

Rulemaking Authority 327.04, 327.46 FS. Law Implemented 327.46 FS. History–New 12-11-97, Formerly 62N-24.155, Amended 11-14-01, 5-23-11. Amended____.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Ryan Moreau, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: February 4, 2015

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: January 2, 2015