GULF BREEZE, FL - The National Park Service (NPS), Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS), is proposing to implement a Commercial Services Strategy (CSS) to better manage commercial operations in the Crab Island Area of the national seashore. Prior to beginning the next stage of planning for this CSS, the NPS is reaching out to area stakeholders for input and will host two virtual civic engagement meetings scheduled for Tuesday, November 10th at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, November 12th at 1:00 p.m.
The meetings will begin with a presentation, followed by a moderated question and answer session. Individuals will be able to access a link to attend the virtual meetings at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/CrabIsland. This website will also include a link for the public to submit comments through Nov. 23, 2020, a link to watch a recorded version of the virtual meeting, and additional information on the planning process.
Crab Island is a large submerged sandbar located near the William T. Marler Bridge, on the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island within the Choctawhatchee Bay portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Crab Island Area has become a highly popular recreational site, drawing hundreds of boats and numerous floating commercial services such as restaurants, water taxis, and mobile small craft vendors which traverse and anchor within the sandy and seagrass portions of the sandbar. The popularity of the sandbar has led to issues of concern shared by the National Park Service, state and local governments, agencies, and other stakeholders. These issues include life-threatening accidents and fatalities, damaged seagrass beds, and diminished water quality. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, there are hundreds of visitor incidents including, marine DUI, disturbances and altercations, boating and personal water craft accidents, boat fires, medical emergencies, swimmer assists and rescues, and fatalities.
To address these concerns, the Gulf Island National Seashore has begun a formal planning process to determine the level of commercial activity consistent with the national seashore’s General Management Plan, federal law, and local laws and ordinances.
www.nps.gov
About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/GulfIslands, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 421 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
