From the
November / December 2009 Edition of Marsh Rider Magazine:
Reflections
By Bishop Wright, Jr.
President, Florida Airboat Association
Congratulations to this year’s talented team of airboaters
who were selected to serve on the 2010 FAA Executive
Committee.
As you can see from the story and pictures that follow, the
3rd Annual Airboat Show was a huge success and I thank all
the members who helped our chairman, Jim Brown, make this
event a success. We continue to set a new tone for FAA’s
future and we are stronger than ever before.
Thank each of you for being there. Because of you, FAA
continues to fight for airboating recreational access and
defend against opponents. By helping to fund our efforts,
you are fighting for your rights to use your airboat. We
are facing restrictions on a county-by-county basis but we
will not take our eye off the task of keeping our rights
and access. Every day, we continue to find new legislative
and local government officials who support our rights and
we promote the positive side of airboats and our sport.
We have a lobbyist in Tallahassee who works tirelessly to
protect and/or change your boating and hunting rules and
laws. You have more privileges than in the past. We have
hired an attorney to show county commissioners that we’re
serious when it comes to access and being treated fairly.
We have grass root airboaters who attend government agency
meetings throughout the state of Florida.
Access is everything and it takes money to fight for
privileges of access. While hiring a lobbyist and attorney
is no guarantee of success, it does make a statement to our
opponents and the state bureaucrats that FAA and airboaters
must be taken seriously.
It is unfortunate that a handful of arrogant citizens
within a community could convince County Commissioners to
restrict boat access by vessel type of all bodies of water
in a county – or even on certain bodies of water. The
proposed Alachua curfew is discriminatory, unfair and will
deny many citizens access to our natural resources. In
addition, if a compromise in Osceola County is not adopted,
and Alachua County follows through with its proposed
county-wide curfew, we will have no choice but to move
forward with a Federal lawsuit.
It’s been amazing to see how many different ways FAA
affiliates have found to raise money for our war chest. One
great means of helping is to purchase a raffle ticket from
one of the many clubs offering great items. KRVSA is
raffling a four-wheeler; FSCA is raffling a mini-gladesmen
style airboat; BCAHCC is raffling a Diamondback airboat;
OAA is raffling a 13 ft. aluminium hull – and list just
keeps growing. Please keep in mind that when you donate to
these organizations, they are walking the walk – not just
talking the talk. Make sure you are helping a club that’s
helping you and donate your money to clubs making a
difference, not just posing as an “alter-ego” airboat
group.
Thanks to Southernairboat.com members for all they do in
keeping everyone informed and up to date on important
upcoming events and outings. Thanks, to Marsh Rider
Magazine for providing accurate information on events and
their locations and covering each story individually or
with a representative of that community.
The airboating family is more organized than ever before,
which is extremely important for battles on the horizon.
It’s been extremely exciting knowing that we can draw a
crowd when we need to for important meetings and I have
been told by many governmental organizations our airboating
family is full of intelligent, knowledgeable
and well organized members.
Thank you to each of our FAA affiliates who have
participated in the FWC hunting rule change process, deer
management stakeholder group, Imperiled Species Listing
group, Non-powered vessel listening groups, National Park
Service Big Cypress Addition Lands, South Florida Water
Management and St. Johns Water Management recreational
users meetings. Because of your efforts, and dedication, we
are making a difference, even though sometimes it seems
like we take two steps back and only one step forward.