Every year thousands of boaters enter Everglades National Park by crossing Florida Bay from the Florida Keys. Effective January 1, 2018, the National Park Service plans
to raise the annual boaters’ fee from $40 to $50 dollars, with a second proposed increase to $60 in October of 2018. The Park Service is also proposing a new boater education program proposed to go into effect January 1, 2018, and applies to all motorboats, canoes and kayaks. The online course teaches boaters about Florida Bay’s shallow-water ecosystem and how it can be damaged by careless vessel operation. The new fees and educational program requirements will apply to all boaters, even those entering into the park across maritime boundaries. Additional information on the proposed changes is
available at nps.gov/ever/index.htm.

By Bob Arrington, Southern Boating December 2017

Photos: Hillenrbrand/USFWS and David Hinkel of USFWS