For this post, I've editorialized in red.

I have a new flag and motto for the Nature Coast found on a fishing forum, posted by an upstanding Crystal River resident and apparently supported by the city of Crystal River and the Board of County Commissioners of Citrus County . What a wonderful way to promote ecotourism.

County wants to stop King’s Bay rule.

By Chris Van Ormer (Citrus County Chronicle)

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:00 am (Updated: October 27, 12:02 am)

County commissioners voted Tuesday to join Crystal River in a federal court challenge against a government agency rule to turn King’s Bay into a manatee refuge.

Last week, Crystal River City Council voted unanimously to send a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stating its intent to sue if the federal government continues a plan to make all of King’s Bay a manatee refuge by eliminating a sport zone in the bay and imposing a year-round slow-speed restriction.
Gary Maidhof, county projects and operations officer, told the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) how Crystal River was asking the county to form a partnership in its challenge.

“Our position from Day 1 has been that the rule was over-reaching,” Maidhof said. “We would like them (FWS) to work with us to find something that was acceptable to the majority of this community.” According to USFWS, of the local residents (Citrus County) who participated in the process, 723 supported the rule and only 145 who were opposed. It seems disingenuous to say that the rule is not acceptable to the majority of the community. Unfortunately this community has a reputation of not supporting manatee protection.

Maidhof said meetings between residents and FWC staff have not indicated changes. So Crystal River had a special meeting to discuss the next step.

“The next level that the city would like to follow would be to prepare for and to advise U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally by letter that it is their intent, and they are asking for our participation to join them in this, to file suit in opposition of this rule if it is adopted as proposed,” Maidhof said.

Federal litigation would not be cheap, but Maidhof said that if the city and the county would send a letter, it would go beyond regional FWC staff to Washington, D.C., where someone could recognize that change to the rule was wanted before a court action would begin. The purpose of the letter would be to find a solution through talks rather than litigation. The 1% at play again. This is being pushed by monied interests who chose not to participate in the process and now don't like the result. Members of the Lamb family have a long history of opposing manatee protection efforts on Kings Bay.

Maidhof also said the state of Florida would be asked to join this action because the FWS is a federal agency making a rule without input from elected officials. BULL! All our elected officials could have participated and some did. Because the service did not agree doesn't mean you didn't have input. Read this transcript and you'll see a lot of local politicians actually spoke. What egos! Manatees will suffer and die because some politician is posturing.

“This is the federal government (acting) through a process that does not involve their elected officials,” Maidhof (again, bull!) said. “A government agency would implement a rule and it would be on state waters. We have been asked, as well as the city, to participate in a Senate subcommittee hearing on this issue and hopefully we will convince the state of Florida to also join us in this in the fact that this is an example of federalism of state waters, which is prohibited by rule under the federal regulations.” If you don't want the feds involved, how about cleaning up Kings Bay and addressing the same issues that the proposed rule attempts to. The Manatee Protection Plan won't stop this: Manatee Harassment Caught on Tape or the more recent article from animaltourism.com/

Commissioner Winn Webb asked if legislators had been contacted. Maidhof said they had. State Sen. Char(l)es Dean, R-Inverness, had arranged for a presentation before a Senate subcommittee, Maidhof said.
Maidhof said two challenges could be made, one about whether the rulemaking followed procedures and what information was used to support the decision.

Commissioner Rebecca Bays, who is chairman of the Citrus County Tourist Development Council, said the rule would have negative consequences for county businesses that depend on tourism. We need to keep Rebecca away from tourism. The alternative is that the swim industry gets shut down completely. I wish she would look at the tourism revenues generated during the months when the speed zones are in place vs summer revenues when the sport zone is in effect. That should give you a pretty good idea that this is pandering and political posturing,

Maidhof said in addition to the city and county going to the state, a number of people from the private sector who are homeowners and business owners have said they want to take part in the challenge to the rule.
Robert Mercer of Crystal River gave the BOCC a copy of the letter a group of Crystal River residents drafted Monday. (I'll be asking for a copy. Can't wait. Can you say 1%) Here's an interesting link that connects some of the dots.

“We are going Thursday at 9 o’clock to meet with an attorney to decide whether the private sector is going to form an LLC or 501(c) corporation,” Mercer said.

The private citizens’ group would raise money for its lawsuit, Mercer said. He also said Jewel Lamb of Crystal Motors offered to provide a website for the group. There is a history here of opposing manatee protection all the way back to the association with the Port Hotel and Jim Dicks.

Josh Wooten, president and chief executive officer of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber supported the action because the county had always protected manatees.

“We are the model that every other county in the state of Florida should follow,” Wooten said. One thing this community has been good at is patting itself on the back for things it can take no credit for. I certainly don't think suing the USFWS for protecting manatees is a good example of stewardship. The Citrus County Manatee Protection Plan does not address any of the issues in the proposed rule and it was only put in place because it was mandated. When given the chance to deal with the sport zone, the county declined. When given the opportunity to create locally controlled sanctuaries in the Blue Waters, the county failed to do so. County Attorney Richard Wesch advised the board to draft a letter incorporating by reference Crystal River’s letter. Copies would be sent to Sen. Bill Nelson, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Richard Nugent, state Sen. Charles Dean, state Sen. Mike Fasano and state Rep. Jimmie T. Smith. All five commissioners would sign the correspondence. Copies would be sent to FWS and appropriate federal agencies.

Gov. Rick Scott would receive a separate letter, a copy of which would be sent to State Attorney Pam Bondi, which would be a transmittal letter of the notice of intent that would be sent to FWS. A motion to send the letters as advised passed by unanimous vote."

I am ashamed to live in Citrus County.

Instead of this:
We'll see more of this:

All so a few "special" spoiled'selfish people can buzz around in circles on high speed water toys or take an additional 15 minutes to get to the channel.

Here is a link to the Citrus County Manatee Protection Plan (PDF) and here is a link to the Proposed rule. See if you can find any similarities. Most issues covered by one are not covered by the other. Also note that if you read the transcripts, local officials did speak AT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.

MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR OCCUPY CITRUS

IT IS TIME TO STAND UP TO SELF SERVING POLITICIANS AND RADICALS

The Tea Party on Manatees

Shun USFWS Employees

Here are links to contact information should anyone like to provide your comments to our elected officials:

City of Crystal River

E-mails and Contact Info

Click on the name to send and e-mail

City Manager Andy Houston

Mayor Jim Farley

Councilman Mike Gudis

Councilman Ron Kitchens

Councilman Maureen McNiff