Florida Boat Ramps Remain Open
Boat ramps around Florida remain open while the state’s stay-at-home order remains in place. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is requiring that operators maintain a 50-foot distance from other boats and that there be no more than 10 people on board.
Playing By The Rules
According to a report on the news4jax.com website, there were dozens of boats out on the St. Johns River last weekend. Families patiently waited to take their turn at the ramp.
Boater David Edwards told the website, “There’s not a lot of other things to do so I figure we’d get out on the water and keep our social distancing on the river.”
Kim DeMarre spent a few hours on the water Saturday taking advantage of good weather. “That’s social distancing at its best out there, really it is,” she said. “I think it’s awesome because it gives us the opportunity to get out and get some fresh air and sunshine and still be able to maintain the appropriate protocols.”
Unanimous Vote
Across the state, the Jefferson County Commission voted last Thursday evening to keep the Wacissa River boat ramp open to local residents, but the local beach remains closed.
Commissioner Stephen Walker had been wanting to open the ramp to locals. “I have been actively looking for ways to try and protect residents in Jefferson County as best we can from the Covid-19 virus spread in our community,” he said. I have reached out and been in discussions with the sheriff’s office on enforcement for our county-owned parks.”
Officials were concerned about the increased number of out-of-state license plates officials had been seeing at the Wacissa River Headwaters Park in the town of the same name. To alleviate those worries, access was restricted to only Jefferson County residents. Walker said it gave locals a place to go boating and it helped keep people from other areas coming into the area.
The ramp is owned by the county and is maintained at the expense of local taxpayers, whom Walker said should be given the opportunity to use it.
“This county’s ownership was established several years ago when we asked the FWC for assistance with the ramp,” Walker said. “The FWC checked its inventory and said it was ours and not theirs to repair and maintain.”
Walker said he had spoken with the local sheriff and had received support from law-enforcement for opening the ramp only to locals.
On the advice of county attorney Scott Shirley, the commission tied the restriction for only county residents being allowed to use the ramp to the state’s 30-day stay-at-home order.