Personal watercraft have no place in wildlife refuges
The backcountry off the
Lower Florida Keys
is a magical getaway to many, whether they go there on a daily basis or
only once in awhile.
The mangrove islands,
shallow flats and twisting channels are beautiful visually. Their
inhabitants are also special: Eagles, herons, bonefish and sea turtles
all live in the backcountry. With the developed Keys inundated by people
and cars, the backcountry offers a tantalizing glimpse of how these
islands looked in their undisturbed state.
The natural importance of
the refuges is not exactly news. Teddy Roosevelt designated the islands
west of Key West — including Boca Grande, Woman Key and the Marquesas —
as a national wildlife refuge in 1908. Back then, the birds that lived
there needed protection from plume hunters. In the 1930s, Great White
Heron National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect the islands in the
Lower Keys backcountry and, most especially, the birds that live there.
For decades, the federal
designation and the small number of people using the areas maintained
their essentially natural state. But by the 1990s, so many people were
traveling to these areas — intended to serve as a wilderness — that more
protections were put in place.
It's important to
remember the purpose of a national wildlife refuge. It is not, like a
national park, intended primarily for the recreation and inspiration of
its visitors. It is not, like a national marine sanctuary, part of the
Department of Commerce. It is simply, as its name states, a refuge for
wildlife, a place where the original, natural inhabitants of an area can
live in as natural a way as possible.
But here is the issue
with these wildlife refuges: While the formal boundaries extend over the
water, the refuge itself only owns the land. Unfortunately, you cannot
manage these areas as functional ecosystems by simply protecting a few
tiny dots of mangrove and sand. The ecosystems include the water and the
fish in them, the beaches and the turtles that swim there. It's all
connected.
But here is the issue
with these wildlife refuges: While the formal boundaries extend over the
water, the refuge itself only owns the land. Unfortunately, you cannot
manage these areas as functional ecosystems by simply protecting a few
tiny dots of mangrove and sand. The ecosystems include the water and the
fish in them, the beaches and the turtles that swim there. It's all
connected.
The reasons for the ban
are obvious to anyone who has ever been to the backcountry. The area has
a serene, timeless, unspoiled quality. Roaring machines that can travel
in the shallowest water are a jarring intrusion. And the ability of the
personal watecraft to get so shallow means they can come right up to the
edge of the islands, flushing birds off their nests and leaving their
eggs to overheat in the Florida sun. The personal watercraft were also
not particularly popular with the flats guides, who have fished the
backcountry for decades. There's nothing like painstakingly stalking a
prized fish only to have it spooked away by a roaring pleasurecraft.
The reasons for the ban
are obvious to anyone who has ever been to the backcountry. The area has
a serene, timeless, unspoiled quality. Roaring machines that can travel
in the shallowest water are a jarring intrusion. And the ability of the
personal watecraft to get so shallow means they can come right up to the
edge of the islands, flushing birds off their nests and leaving their
eggs to overheat in the Florida sun. The personal watercraft were also
not particularly popular with the flats guides, who have fished the
backcountry for decades. There's nothing like painstakingly stalking a
prized fish only to have it spooked away by a roaring pleasurecraft.
Several years ago, the
Florida Legislature, in its infinite wisdom, passed a state law
declaring that you cannot regulate personal watercraft differently from
any other boats in state waters. Now the Personal Watercraft Industry
Association, a lobbying group, is pushing hard to reopen the backcountry
to Jet Skis and WaveRunners. We think this is a bad idea. The
backcountry is, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively small oasis
of the natural Keys. The people who use it now, for fishing and kayaking
and birding, have an interest in maintaining its wilderness ambience.
And while the disruptions for nesting birds and fishing flats could
theoretically be avoided by creating vast new "no motor" zones, that
could require a costly and unsightly new marking system and would
definitely require far more enforcement than the feds or the state have
provided thus far. We strongly recommend that the state of Florida and
the federal refuge system do all they can to keep our backcountry
wilderness as wild as possible. There are plenty of areas for personal
watercraft in the Keys. Why change a system that has worked well for a
decade? -- The Citizen |
