SE Florida Coral Reef Initiative

Thought this might be of interest to the group. These are the guys that are
worried about the reefs and want divers to pay for protecting them. They've
already spent millions of taxpayer money to get the point where they know
there's a problem (but not quite what the problem is), that they want to do
something about the problem (but have no idea what) and that they want a lot
more taxpayer and private money to study both some more. In the process,
they discovered that divers don't have to pay license fees to the state and,
because we're obviously (to them) a part of the problem, we should pay them
to continue to do nothing constructive.

Some of us don't agree and said so, clearly and in public. Of course, I'm
not biased at all.

Lee

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Good afternoon,



You are receiving this email because you have previously expressed
interested in, or attended a meeting of, the Southeast Florida Coral Reef
Initiative (SEFCRI).



In 2003, with guidance from the United States Coral Reef Task Force
(USCRTF), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission coordinated the formation of an
interagency team of marine resource professionals (federal, state, regional,
and local) who are familiar with the southeast Florida coral reefs north of
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). This team, named the
Southeast Florida Action Strategy Team (SEFAST), first gathered to develop
local action strategies in May 2003 targeting coral reefs from the southern
Miami-Dade County line to Hobe Sound (Martin County). This region was chosen
because the coral ecosystems are close to shore and co-exist with intensely
urbanized areas that lack a coordinated development plan (like that of the
FKNMS). In February 2004, SEFAST completed a working draft SEFCRI Local
Action Strategy (LAS) of issue statements, goals, objectives and projects
for, stemming from a facilitated process incorporating public review and
comment. Refinements of the strategies from the February 2004 draft LAS and
identification of priority projects are now beginning.



To maximize its potential and success, the Southeast Florida Coral Reef
Initiative will require support from the larger southeast Florida community.
Your continued interest and participation in the refinement and
implementation of the SEFCRI LAS is valued and appreciated. Beginning the
week of July 12, 2004, future SEFCRI meeting schedules, locations and
related documents will be posted on the Florida Department of Environmental
Protections Coral Reef website at
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/coral/.



Several small planning meetings targeting the 4 SEFCRI focus/issue areas
(Appreciation & Awareness, Land-based Sources of Pollution, Maritime
Industry & Coastal Construction Impacts, Fishing Diving & Other Uses) are
scheduled for SEFAST and Issue Team members beginning later this month.
Minutes will be recorded and posted to the website following the meetings. A
larger meeting to request wider community stakeholder review and comment
will be scheduled in late 2004/early 2005. Please check the website
regularly for updates.





====================================

Chantal Collier

Coral Reef Program Manager

FDEP/Office of Coastal & Aquatic Managed Areas

Biscayne Bay Environmental Center

1275A NE 79th Street Cswy.

Miami, FL 33138

Phone: 305-795-1208

Fax: 305-795-3470

Email: Chantal.Collier@dep.state.fl.us

====================================

And just as a side note, all the divers are too wrapped up in politics
and religion to waste time protecting dive sites and access to them.

We'll get what we deserve.

Lee Bell wrote:
> Thought this might be of interest to the group. These are the guys that are
> worried about the reefs and want divers to pay for protecting them. They've
> already spent millions of taxpayer money to get the point where they know
> there's a problem (but not quite what the problem is), that they want to do
> something about the problem (but have no idea what) and that they want a lot
> more taxpayer and private money to study both some more. In the process,
> they discovered that divers don't have to pay license fees to the state and,
> because we're obviously (to them) a part of the problem, we should pay them
> to continue to do nothing constructive.
>
> Some of us don't agree and said so, clearly and in public. Of course, I'm
> not biased at all.
>
> Lee
>

Lee,
I guess I have mixed emotions about this. On one side, I look at it, as
though they want to charge me (as a diver) a fee to visit what nature
made and maintains. Sort of like if I had to pay a fee to hike the
Appalachian Trail or visit the Grand Canyon.

But on the other side, I guess there are some National Parks that
require you to pay admission. I know you have to pay a yearly $10 fee
to dive in Bonaire. While I was in Cozumel, it cost $2.00 a day to
dive. (This is something fairly recent....one of the people in our group
was there a year or so ago and didn't have to pay it).

I guess the questions would be, What would the money from the license
fees be used for? and Why are divers being singled out? Are people who
go out on fishing charters going to be required to pay a fee? or get a
license?

I guess if this money were used to maintain reef mooring balls, or start
artificial reefs, etc etc, I would be more in favor of it. But it
really sounds like someone has found a source of income and they just
want to make it fatter.

Andy

>Subject: Re: SE Florida Coral Reef Initiative

>> they discovered that divers don't have to pay license fees to the state
>and,
>> because we're obviously (to them) a part of the problem, we should pay them
>> to continue to do nothing constructive.
>>
>> Some of us don't agree and said so, clearly and in public. Of course, I'm
>> not biased at all.
>>
>> Lee
>>
>


>
>I guess the questions would be, What would the money from the license
>fees be used for?

I was at one of the meetings and asked that question. I mentioned divers and
volunteers could be used to accomplish much of the work. I was told " they
can't carry firearms and make arrests, the money is needed for enforcement".

The way I look at is that they want me to pay for a license so they can afford
to have someone check and make sure I have one. The rest of the money would no
doubt go to their pet projects. They don't want volunteers they want funding.
I'm sure they will want volunteers after they get funding.

They were upset that divers were at their last meeting. One of the divers
actually wanted to address the meeting-Lee. The next meeting is not open to
the public -ie. for team members only, not "stakeholders" There will be another
meeting later on for public input after their decisions have been made.

They are using the phrase "Reef Protection" to set up funding for projects and
commitees that directly benefit themselves. They are in the business of reef
protection. They want reef protection jobs.


http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/p...SFCRI-0204.pdf

Dennis

>http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/p...SFCRI-0204.pdf

Page 19 project 3 is the divers license, its now in bureaucrat speakese.

Dennis

"nitespark" wrote ...
> While I was in Cozumel, it cost $2.00 a day to
> dive. (This is something fairly recent....one of
> the people in our group was there a year or so
> ago and didn't have to pay it).

It's not that the *didn't have* to pay it, it's that it wasn't enforced by
the dive operator that they went with at that time... Even back in 1997,
they had the $2/day fee... There was some sort of wristband of strip of tape
that you either had to wear or have clipped to your BC... Come to think of
it, I don't remember a date being on it, so if you continued to wear it (or
just clipped it to your BC), you could get away with not having to buy a new
one each day... Then again, it wasn't enforced anyway, so you could get away
without even buying a single one...

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 13:50:48 GMT, "Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

>Thought this might be of interest to the group. These are the guys that are

It ought to be of interest.
Typical tax $ Fraud.
We were at the meeting and met the lamest sort of public service.

In "Bush-Speak": Initiative = Exploitation.
Just like the "Clear Skies Initiative" that rolled back mercury limits,
the Coral Reef Initiative is a bunch of technocrats empowered to rubber-stamp
anything anybody wants.

These people want grant money. They want to spend it.
The want to do nothing except observe the death of the reefs and write a book
about all the interesting mechanisms.

"Action" is anathema to their purpose.

safe diving,

bullshark

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 18:32:53 -0400, bullshark <bullshark@gmail.com>
wrote:


>
>"Action" is anathema to their purpose.
>
Tell me it ain't so. Are Anathemas now an endangered species? Crap! I
was just developing a taste for fricasseed Anathema.

JF