Poe springs

[karstdvr]

Just a forewarning to anyone who tries this, people have been hassled by police for going up the run at Blue Springs, which is just nearby. I wouldn't suggest pushing the legalities unless you're willing to pay and prove yourself right.

From my interpretation, Matt is correct, but it's just a warning.

Also Matt (or Kelly if you're reading this), how do things work if it's a state park? I know you can't paddle up Troy springs without being fined, nor sites like Wakulla. Do these rules extend to county parks? Figured you'd know better than me since you have a boat and dive the river often.

I look at the letter of the law versus making landowners mad. Yeah,I can navigate my boat into an area,and have legal access,but to what benefit; now do I have an angry tax paying owner that complains to county officials how much of a nuisance those cave divers are. Those feelings become pervasive and makes getting access to other areas difficult due to the interpretation of cave divers being a nuisance. I have gained access to a lot of areas,and never had a run in with law enforcement or land owners. Cave diving having a positive self image benefits us all. I can think of some other sports that don't have a positive image in the mind of the public,and I see their rights diminished.

 

[The Chairman]

Cave diving having a positive self image benefits us all. I can think of some other sports that don't have a positive image in the mind of the public,and I see their rights diminished.

We're just gonna have to agree to agree here! It's one thing to claim rights, but a lot of these parks charge only a nominal fee to use them. If we are good citizens and support them, then we will be treated more fairly as time goes on!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I look at the letter of the law versus making landowners mad. Yeah,I can navigate my boat into an area,and have legal access,but to what benefit; now do I have an angry tax paying owner that complains to county officials how much of a nuisance those cave divers are. Those feelings become pervasive and makes getting access to other areas difficult due to the interpretation of cave divers being a nuisance. I have gained access to a lot of areas,and never had a run in with law enforcement or land owners. Cave diving having a positive self image benefits us all. I can think of some other sports that don't have a positive image in the mind of the public,and I see their rights diminished.

It wasn't divers causing a "nuisance" at Poe Springs that brought forth the article JahJah mentioned. Just an ordinary canoer, along with several other boaters from the river. Tax paying people who have been enjoying that stretch of river and spring for thier entire lives. The county officials aren't going to cut off their own locals from these rights, they likely excercise the same rights themselves. Sounds to me like the officials educated the people running the park of their lack of rights in the waterways and boaters are no longer nuisances, just people enjoying the spring and run, legally by water.


I don't see where allowing owners(or even better, managers of some park that is leasing the property) to overstep thier boundaries into other people's rights will have any positive benefit on the cave diving community.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

We're just gonna have to agree to agree here! It's one thing to claim rights, but a lot of these parks charge only a nominal fee to use them. If we are good citizens and support them, then we will be treated more fairly as time goes on!

Use them for what? They don't allow diving from land. Diver's coming in from different areas aren't going to pay even a nominal fee in a park that won't allow them to participate in the recreation that brought them to that area in the first place.

The park doesn't want the liability. Paying fees to use the park for means other than diving will just keep putting money in their pockets for not letting divers in... I'd think keeping my fee and spending it elsewhere is much better leverage to have them change policy... or better yet, come in by boat, and dive anyway, free. People pay for easier access, which is why you rarely see boats huddled up around Devils Ear. They don't pay for no access.

 

[The Chairman]

Use them for what?

I was speaking in a general sense. I did not know that Poe did not allow diving.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

In general, if there's land access available, then I'll pay for the easy entry.

This is not the case here, the park currently running Poe Spring isn't interested in divers.

 

[karstdvr]

It wasn't divers causing a "nuisance" at Poe Springs that brought forth the article JahJah mentioned. Just an ordinary canoer, along with several other boaters from the river. Tax paying people who have been enjoying that stretch of river and spring for thier entire lives. The county officials aren't going to cut off their own locals from these rights, they likely excercise the same rights themselves. Sounds to me like the officials educated the people running the park of their lack of rights in the waterways and boaters are no longer nuisances, just people enjoying the spring and run, legally by water.


I don't see where allowing owners(or even better, managers of some park that is leasing the property) to overstep thier boundaries into other people's rights will have any positive benefit on the cave diving community.

I was speaking in a general context,not specific to Poe Springs,although Poe Springs has made their point by not allowing diving,and their feelings in the manner. I can name some great sites that pushing the naviagable waterway rule would open up,but then at what expense. Good luck on your efforts.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Our efforts are the same, to get sites opened for diving