SIX BOATUS ACCESS AWARD WINNERS
SHOW HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNITY’S BOATING ACCESS
Local Towns Open Up the Waterfront and Tap Into Boater Spending
Would you like to improve your community’s access to your
local waterway?
Six 2008 BoatUS Recreational Boating
Access Award winners can show you how. The winning projects – in
Florida, Ohio, Minnesota and North Carolina – offer a range
of innovative solutions for communities struggling to keep their
waterfronts open to boaters, anglers, and citizens. Communities that
improve boating access can also reap economic rewards that local
and visiting boaters bring to merchants, restaurants and service
providers.
Each project we selected has elements that other boaters and boating
groups can use in their local communities to keep boating strong,
if they have the determination to do it, like these winners demonstrated
AN EYESORE NO LONGER IN OHIO:
In Sheffield Lake, OH, city leaders worked for over five years to
bring together land owners and the state to redevelop a nondescript
park into a double-lane, free boat launching area with adequate
parking and courtesy docks that will ultimately lead to a small-craft
harbor with permanent dockage. The leaders faced a hostile commercial
property owner, a disheartened citizenry with little community
interest, and overcame significant funding issues. The city hopes
to use the harbor as a lure to draw fishing tournaments as part
of its economic development plan. The facility’s parking
lot is now often filled to capacity with visitors and boaters.
PERSEVERANCE IN MINNESOTA PAYS OFF:
In Minnesota, it was a long grass-roots struggle. A cross section
of local stakeholders on the McQuade Public Access Committee with
the Duluth city government and the state Department of Natural
Resources worked for 16 years to overcome vocal opposition to finally
develop a three-acre safe harbor and park on Lake Superior known
as “McQuade Access.” The boat launching area and harbor
of refugee nine miles from Duluth harbor accommodates 54 tow vehicles/trailers
and was balanced with other community needs, such as incorporating
non-boating access in the form of a fishing pier. On-site facilities
are solar powered.
Video of McQuade Public Access & Small Craft Harbor
opening July 18, 2008
TAKING THE LONG-TERM VIEW IN MOREHEAD CITY:
In North Carolina the award recognizes officials of Morehead City
for its long-range water access plan that began in 1998 and has led
to several new access sites for small boats plus a 10-slip transient
facility for cruising boats that opened last year. The plan
will culminate with a new boat launching area, Radio Island North,
now under development. When finished, it will provide this rural
coastal town with a population of just 10,000 with 11 new ramps and
parking for 100 tow vehicles and trailers and an extended fishing
pier.
Future site of Radio Island North launch ramp project
in Morehead City, NC. The fishing pier will be extended with
a tee at the end. There will be a bait shop, restrooms, parking
for 100 cars and trailers and eleven launch ramps (6 doubles
and 1 single). This site will be very popular for boaters as
it is a straight 1/8 mile to the inlet.
In Florida, BoatU.S. recognized the City of Gulfport on Boca Ciega
Bay for its Municipal Mooring Field to serve transient as well
as local boaters. With this project significant local opposition
had to be overcome due to some deep-seated bias against boaters
caused by several highly visible derelict vessels left after storms,
as well as the actions of some irresponsible boat owners. City
leaders hope the project will improve visitor spending at local
merchants and reverse the town’s standing among some mariners
as being unfriendly to boaters by offering local transportation
and services. Today, transient boaters are welcomed to Gulfport
with a packet of information to get the most out of their stay.
Site of Gulfport, FL Municipal Mooring Field
BoatUS Vice President of Government
Affairs Margaret Podlich (2nd from right) recently traveled to Gulfport
FL to honor the city for its efforts in creating a municipal
mooring field. With her (left to right) are City Council
Member Bob Worthington, a champion of the project; Vice Mayor
Michele King, and Interim City Manager Jim O’Reilly.
The City of Gulfport, FL Municipal Mooring Field will be
located just past this public dinghy dock (in center of photo).
When completed, it will offer up to 100 moorings for recreational
vessels up to 65 feet.
MARINA OWNER LEADS THE WAY TO MORE ACCESS IN FLORIDA:
In Glade County on Lake Okeechobee, a public-private partnership
between the City of Moore Haven and the owners of River Forest
Yachting Center in Stuart, FL, will rebuild a dilapidated city
marina as a key component to its downtown redevelopment. Spearheaded
by River Forest, the marina rebuild project will provide a hurricane
safe haven and is seen as an economic development tool to capture
transient boater spending — over 10,000 recreational vessels
pass through each year. While there was no local organized boating
community in the area to push the plan, $750,000 in cash and in-kind
contributions came from the county economic development agency,
electrical co-op and other local businesses and professionals.
A new 450-foot floating dock, dredging, channel markers, and new
upland construction of restrooms, showers and laundry are included.
These photos show the current poor condition of the
Moore Haven FL city docks. As part of the redevelopment,
they will be replaced by a new 450-foot floating dock.
The future plans for Moore Haven city
docks.
NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATOR MAKES A STAND FOR BOATERS:
The loss of boating access can take many forms, including how and
when boaters may transport their boats to the water. The final
Access Award went to a state lawmaker, North Carolina Rep. Arthur
Williams, for his successful sponsorship of legislation, HB 2167,
to revise state law for trailer boaters that was preventing boat
trailers wider than eight-feet, six-inches access to state roads
on weekends, holidays and at night – all prime travel times.
Prior to the law, enforcement actions had led some boaters and
anglers to think of the state as unfriendly to boating, and many
fishing tournaments left the state. The legislation overcame misinformation
spread by state agencies, had to pass 11 committees and also overrode
a veto from Governor Easley.
North Carolina Rep. Arthur Williams
This footage shows how
a boat up to nine feet, six inches wide can be safely and
easily transported over North Carolina roads and bridges.
If you would like to get a
copy of the original Access Award nominations faxed to you, please
contact Scott Croft at 703-461-2864 or SCroft@BoatUS.com.
