Artificial Reef Permitting Help

[Little Rich]

My name is Richard. I am a SCUBA Diving instructor, avid diver, and fisherman in Pensacola, FL. Escambia County is currently attempting to permit several awesome artificial reef projects but meeting strong resistance from the Army Corp of Engineers and others that are opposed to artificial reefs. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as we have literally exhausted all options.

Unlike the rest of Florida, Pensacola, FL is 95% sand bottom. The only way that we have marine habitat is to place artificial reefs on the bottom. Our county currently has permits submitted for two "nearshore" sites 3 miles from our pass, 3 "inshore" snorkeling/ diving reefs in shallow water that will be acessible from shore, and 2 Large Area Artificial Reef Site (LAARS) permits (one for public reefs, and one for "private" deployments.) Some of these reefs have been in the permitting process for the better part of 2 years! These reefs will be a boom for our economy and our environment. I would love any suggestions that anyone might have in expediting the process.

Thank you very much,

Richard

 

[OldNSalty]

Can you explain 'private deployments' I thought there were areas designated where virtually anyone could drop a reef-if this isn't so, where do all the private reefs come from?

 

[Little Rich]

Escambia County has two areas of the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico that have been evaluated by the Army Corp of Engineers to be nothing more than sand bottom. They permit these large areas, and pretty much say anything legal can be dropped within these boundaries without causing any damage to live bottom, user conflict, hazard to navigation, etc. Escambia County's Western Large Area Artificial Reef Site is the area that is approved for individuals to build a reef and deploy it for themselves (private reefs.) Private means that the numbers to the reef are not published, but you can not prevent anyone from finding, fishing, or diving your reef. Public reefs are reefs built and deployed by the county that are available to the public. Private reefs are the types of reefs used by charter captains to ensure that their customers catch fish every time they go out. Hope this helps.