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County Moves On Noise At Silver Glen, Forest Service Revives Boat Restrictions Push

    The Lake County Commission on Tuesday, January 20, formally approved the creation of a Noise Sensitive Zone in the Silver Glen Run.  In an ongoing attempt to control behavior that regulators find to be in conflict with the area’s natural surroundings, the new law allows for misdemeanor charges for boaters whose music or other noise can be heard from farther than 25 feet away.
    The move is part of an effort to stave off potential state action to close the popular recreational area to mooring or anchoring of boats.
    “This is a step in the right direction,” said commission chair Leslie Campione of the designation, which has also been voted into creation by Marion County, which shares jurisdiction in the area.
    Campione described the zone as an ‘effort to tamp down on behavior which is inconsistent with the natural surroundings’. 
    More broadly, the battle appears to be ongoing concerning boating in the run.  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission last year moved to approve a U.S. Forest Service request to designate the run a Spring Protection Zone, which if implemented, would have banned mooring or anchoring of boats in the run, effectively ending the ability for large groups of boaters to gather.
    Area elected leaders responded with a new state law that created new rules regarding Spring Protection Zones, new laws that prevented the FWC’s action to take effect. 
    However, Campione on Tuesday said the Forest Service has again requested an SPZ for the run, meaning future discussions regarding boating access will no doubt be coming.