On Tuesday, January 24, the City of St. Petersburg is hosting a meeting to discuss proposed anchoring restrictions for city waters. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is urging boaters, cruisers and those who benefit from the economic impact of boater spending to attend this meeting to have their concerns heard.

The January 24 meeting follows last year’s October 19 meeting in which the city asked for initial input on anchoring restrictions. The city is one of five municipalities in the state’s mooring and anchoring pilot project which allows it to develop an ordinance to limit nearby anchoring.

“The city hasn’t published any specific proposals to date, so that’s why boaters need to attend,” said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich. “We need to ensure that a reasonable approach is taken and St. Petersburg remains a boating-friendly area,” added Podlich.

The January 24 meeting will be held in the Karen A. Steidinger Auditorium at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 Eighth Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

Attendees are asked to RSVP by calling the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina 727-893-7329 or email marina@stpete.org.

For more background information on anchoring laws in Florida, see the “2011 BoatUS Anchoring Information” sheet at www.BoatUS.com/gov/florida. To get more information from the Florida Wildlife Commission on the pilot mooring program, go to www.myfwc.com/boating/anchoring-mooring.