Boat U.S. - September 2008 - (Page 16)

for Working Waterways and Waterfronts — A National Symposium on Water Access, held in Norfolk, VA. “One important early outcome of the symposium was a broad consensus on the definition for water-dependant uses and working waterfronts,” Murray added. “Basically, we are talking about businesses like wet slip marinas, boat service yards, charter fishing facilities, commercial seafood landings and dry stack boat storage, plus access points like launching ramps for trailerable boats, that either allow the public to get on the water or otherwise benefit from marine and coastal resources.” Since the conference, Murray and Virginia Sea Grant have maintained an active electronic list-serve and posting site at www.wateraccessus.com for policy makers, elected officials and water access advocates to exchange information and report new developments. Examples of progress made to date include: • A bill in Congress to protect water access is now part of the Coastal Zone Management Act reauthorization (H.R. 5451). It incorporates the “working waterfront” definition that came out of the Norfolk conference. • In South Carolina, a study by the state’s Sea Grant Consortium not only identifies current waterfront access issues, it outlines 14 local initiatives to protect access that could be transferred to other communities facing similar access problems. • Maine’s Working Waterfront Coalition, a key partner in the conference, continues to promote the state’s “current use” taxation program to hold down tax rates for working waterfront properties; the coalition is also supporting several financial incentive programs to aid commercial fishing facilities as well as water-dependent support businesses that can also serve recreational boaters. • A regional planning organization focused on New York City’s tri-state greater metropolitan area is studying water-dependent land uses and identifying issues that can affect long-term access to the water for commercial maritime and recreational businesses like marinas. The not-for-profit Regional Planning Association can then mobilize civic, business, and government sectors to take action to preserve access. For more on access issues, visit www.BoatUS. com/gov. BoatU.S. Magazine September 2008 http://www.wateraccessus.com http://www.wateraccessus.com http://www.airdock.com http://www.airdock.com http://www.BoatUS.com/gov http://www.BoatUS.com/gov

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - September 2008

Boat U.S. - September 2008 Contents Behind The Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum List Locker Aluminum Can Do Cruising in Crossovers Second Guessing Seasonal Forecasts A Cradle for Your Baby Badlands Boating The Inns and Outs of Penobscot Bay All in the Family: The Butler Did It Stealing Back Peace of Mind DIY Boat Owner Files Good Foundations Boat Smart 2nd Time Around Hot Tips Tangled Line Seaworthy Ask Chuck At Your Service BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - September 2008

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