12911299, 68D-24.010 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 12911299

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Vessel Registration and Boating Safety

Chapter:

BOATING RESTRICTED AREAS

Overview

RULE:

68D-24.010

Pinellas County Boating Restricted Areas

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this rule amendment is to reduce vessel speeds on the Florida Intracoastal Waterway within Pinellas County, where necessary, to manage and promote the use of this state waterway for safe boating.  The amendments, as a result of public comment, are more substantial than anticipated, and include the following: the expansion of “channel only” boating safety zones of the Pinellas Bayway Bridges, Belleair Causeway Bridge, and Honeymoon Island Causeway Bridge to include the entire width of bridge spans within the Intracoastal Waterway and the expansion of the “channel only” zone between the Treasure Island Causeway Bridge and Corey Causeway Bridge to “shoreline to shoreline”; The boating safety zone surrounding the Memorial Causeway Bridge will be increased by an additional 500 feet south of the bridge due to changes in maritime and bridge infrastructure; Increases to the footprint of the zones found in subparagraphs (1)(a)4. and (1)(a)5. to match historical boundaries established by regulatory markers;   The removal of the 30 MPH channel only restriction throughout the County; New language that excludes water bodies such as canals and boat basins for shoreline to shoreline zones; The splitting of zone descriptions into multiple paragraphs for clarity; Updates of all the rule maps and the removal of the responsibility of Pinellas County and the City of Clearwater to mark the zones.

SUMMARY:

This rule amendment extends one (1) zone and widens five (5) zones in the Florida Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County. It changes rule language to reflect historical marking of two (2) additional zones, removes the 30 MPH channel only restriction, adds exclusionary language for shoreline to shoreline zones and splits zone descriptions into multiple paragraphs for clarity.  The amendment also updates the rule maps and removes the responsibility of Pinellas County and the City of Clearwater to mark the zones.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

327.46, FS.

LAW:

327.46, FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

4/24/2013 Vol. 39/80

COMMENTS:

From 4/24/2013 To 5/15/2013 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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